No 14922, Tuesday 13 Oct 2026, Vidwan

Solution to 11A 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

8   Recent changes after removal of pressure, reportedly for housing of the illegals (9,6) DETENTION CENTRE {RECENT}*<=>{(~de tension)DETENTION} 

9   Help with a licit smuggling in future (10) FACILITATE {F{A+LICIT}*ATE}

10 Approached leader retreating to the top (4) ACME (-c)A(+c)CME Retreating or going forward?

11 Will might influence size (8) ?T?E?G?H ()

13 Nation hides force away from the borders (6) INLAND fINLAND

14 England's local troller manipulated voters list (9,4) ELECTORAL ROLL {E+LOCAL+TROLLER}*

17 Plateau to pianissimo beholding perfect state (6) UTOPIA [T]

18 It's basically most open kind of relative discrimination (8) NEPOTISM {ITS+Most+OPEN}*

21 Organised first leaderless agitation (4) STIR fIRST*

22 A new sister at spy agency, the heartless harbinger (10) ANNUNCIATE {A}{N}{NUN}{CIA}{ThE}

24 Economic crisis that is back, involves media controlled by Mafia boss chasing capital (5,10) GREAT DEPRESSION {IE<=} over {PRESS} in {DON} after {GREAT}

DOWN

1   Leave males to rest around supermarket (10,5) DEPARTMENT STORE {DEPART}{MEN}{TO+REST}*

2   People beheaded in evil city (6) VENICE {V{mEN}ICE}

3   Run small time gang (6) STRING {S}{T}{RING} 

4   Until now lacked right piece of furniture (4) SOFA {SO FAr}

5   Pain of nail splitting of fruits like strawberries (8) ACHENIAL {ACHE}{NAIL*}

6   Popular name developed oil printing method (8) INTAGLIO {IN}{TAG}{OIL*}

7   Edge into Channel Islands and sail aggressively in race to outlaw (15) CRIMINALISATION  {C{RIM}I}{N{SAIL*}ATION}

12 Flier exporting Island drug (5) HERON HEROiN

15 Worthless, timeless, most honest name of sky (8) EMPYREAN {EMPtY}{REAl}{N}

16 Toy bear holding a California chest for beverage leaves (3,5) TEA CADDY {TE{A}{CA}DDY}

19 Think of power, think without weight (6) PONDER {P}{wONDER}

20 Lust! This controls right on time! (6) THIRST {THI{R}S}{T}

23 Severus severed head and part of neck (4) NAPE sNAPE

Reference List

Force = F, England = E, New = N, Small = S, Time = T, Right = R, Popular = IN, Island = I, Time = T, Name = N, Power = P, Weight = W