No 14840, Wednesday 08 Jul 2026, Vidwan

Solution to 1A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only 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

1   Follower of most wanted leader of Yemen (6) L?C?E?  

4   Pressure over young ones - small windows appearing on screens (3-3) POP-UPS {P}{O}{PUPS} 

8   Hot wind from Africa to Southern Italy, crossing miles over a Saharan state (7) SIROCCO (+si-m)SIROCCO

9   Allow to join again to study at a top US university (7) READMIT {READ}{MIT}

11 Indian governesses restricted a damage for Shia leaders (10) AYATOLLAHS {AY{A}{TOLL}AHS} 

12 Announced proper ceremony (4) RITE (~right)

13 Publicity fool, unleashes English to make sense (3,2) ADD UP {AD}{DUPe}

14 Gallant and fearless leader undone by rumour about First Lady (3,5) OLD WORLD {bOLD}{WOR{Lady}D}

16 Women are covering cold border violations by army men (3,5) WAR CRIME {W}{AR{C}{RIM}E} POS error

18 Colour copies, having original impressions flipped (5) SEPIA {A{Im...s}PES}<=

20 Time to perish or run (4) TROT {T}{ROT}

21 A cyber cell formed with potential future utility (10) RECYCLABLE*

23 Back to pressing bold and blunt point (7) OBTRUDE {T{B}O<=}{RUDE}

24 Secret desire! Most embarrassed! (7) COVERED {COVEt}{RED}

25 Fool with some secret ingredients (6) CRETIN [T]

26 Still hope endlessly (6) THOUGH THOUGHt

DOWN

1   Common folks in Los Angeles city consuming cocaine (5) LAITY {LA}{cITY}

2   Taken into team mission, possibly for decompositions (2-5) CO-OPTED {COOPTED+MISSION}=DECOMPOSITIONS [CA]

3   Sort of half blue, typical trees in Nilgiris (9) EUCALYPTI {blUE+TYPICAL}* 

5   W-W signs (5) OMENS wOMENS

6   High ground, with bit of ethical stand (7) UNDERGO {GROUND+Et...l}*

7   Hint - I can still play! (9) SCINTILLA*

10 Position of a knight in new cybernation (9) BARONETCY CYBERNATiOn* How is i deleted?

13 A form of carbon that is not needing oxygen to exist (9) ANAEROBIC {A+CARBON+IE}* Partial Indirect anagram

15 Holds itch, struggling to find a cleaning fabric (9) DISHCLOTH*

17 Cabal's exotic erotic energy (7) COTERIE {EROTIC}*{E}

19 Priest passed on gold at table (7) PLATEAU {P}{LATE}{AU}

21 Unlimited trade limit, oddly for bones (5) RADII {tRADe}{lImIt}

22 Screen church parasite (5) LEECH {LEE}{CH}

Reference List

Pressure = P, Over = O, Southern = S, Italy = I, Miles = M, Publicity = AD, Women = W, Cold = C, Time = T, Bold = B, Cocaine = C, New = N, Energy = E, Priest = P, Screen = LEE, Church = CH