No 14667, Wednesday 17 Dec 2025, Arden

Solution to 2D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered by a non-regular/novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

6   A short distance to a new capital (5) AMMAN {A}{MM}{A}{N}

7   West averts calamity with change in leadership (8) OCCIDENT (-a+o)OCCIDENT

10 Nobility's bid to acquire jewelry occasionally (7) PEERAGE {P{jEwElRy}AGE}

11 Discharge private detective finally (7) SECRETE {SECRET}{d...vE}

12 Almost in hostile region of central Tuscany (7) CHIANTI {CHIc}{ANTI}

13 College study, within one metre (7) CADENCE {C}{A{DEN}CE}

14 Source, in other words for a rapid, intense training (5,6) CRASH COURSE {SOURCE}* [RA]

19 Team refused, sorry to reject a novice (7) AMATEUR {TEAM}*{RUE<=} Error in fodder

21 Choose to block river? One follows (7) DEVOTEE {DE{VOTE}E}

23 Fail to incorporate law on milk product (7) LACTOSE {L{ACT}OSE}

25 Take it and you would be upset (7) UMBRAGE [CD]

26 Proceed before one finally leaves - they make you laugh (8) COMEDIES {COME}{DIES}

27 Deadly, not able to sustain (5) INCUR INCURable

DOWN

1   One doesn't remember the middle name, in case lost (8) AMNESIAC {nAMe}{IN+CASE}*

2   Harry relocates to skip national service, to no avail (2,4) ?N ?A?N (Addendum - IN VAIN {IN+VAIN+RELOCATES}* = NATIONAL SERVICE - See comments)

3   Invitation to success - she is flirtatious (4-6) COME-HITHER {COME}{HIT}{HER}

4   Book on laws (4) ACTS [DD]

5   Hotel accommodating not even their trainee (6) INTERN {IN{ThEiR}N}

6   For a cap, lady came up with some wool (6) ALPACA [T<=]

8   He makes sense of animal eating fish (7) DECODER {DE{COD}ER}

9   It's safe to taper off (5) PETER [DD]

13 Could be a sudden downpour (10) CLOUDBURST {COULD}* [RA]

15 One came up like a needle (7) ACEROSE {ACE}{ROSE}

16 Transport at the door (8) ENTRANCE [DD]

17 Bird bit off dog's head (5) EAGLE bEAGLE

18 Space traveller's remote adjustment (6) METEOR*

20 Discontented with Anglican Church, our host (6) ANCHOR {An...aN}{Ch..cH}{OuR}

22 Infection causing bacteria gets energy after six (6) VIBRIO {BRIO}<=>{VI}

24 Not good to stay up (4) EVIL<=

Reference List

Short distance = MM< New = N, College = C