No 11502, Thursday 17 Sep 2015, Vulcan

ACROSS
1   To experience the beginning of never-ending ecstasy, entering it is the answer (6) HEAVEN &lit{H{E}AVE}{Ne..r}
4   Shows on the radio station (5) PLACE (~plays) Iffy homophone
8   A way to bind and make layers (8) STRATIFY {ST}{RATIFY}
9   Writer on the internet, say, answers a baffling question about beginning of time (6) POSTER {POS{Time}ER}
11 Show extraordinary skill after coming back to expand a restaurant (9) TRATTORIA {TRA<=}T{TO}{RIA<=} Anno not clear See comments
12 Party leader runs into trouble, gets time (5) APRIL {A{Pa..y}{R}IL}
13 It's a deplorable old Indian practice (4) SATI*
14 Dust loosely getting settled eventually inside grand wooden framework (8) STUDDING {DUST*}{s...eD}{IN}{G}
18 To do away with a barrier, brother's breaking it (8) ABROGATE {A}{BRO}{GATE}
19 Friendly clash with Manchester to start with (4) WARM {WAR}{Ma...r}
22 People's trust initially had by successor (5) THEIR {Tr..t}{HEIR}
24 Cautioned about learning (9) EDUCATION*
25 Spoke of nothing with value, got bored finally (6) ORATED {O}{RATE}{b..eD}
26 Dislike a story (8) AVERSION {A}{VERSION}
27 Girls prevailed over guys for the most part (5) WOMEN {WO{MEn}N}
28 Small list that's permanent (6) STABLE {S}{TABLE}

DOWN
1   In future, Helium energy may be conserved in a beam (9) HEREAFTER {HE}{R{E}AFTER}
2   Through Drona's tutelage gets sharp (6) ASTUTE [T]
3   Tear off somehow without a trouble (6) EFFORT {TEaR+OFF}*
5   Garments sold with rate slashed (8) LEOTARDS*
6   Provide for the empty vehicle parked outside (5) CATER {CA{ThE}R}
7   Discussion with an expert with large ego, one from Kerala (12) PROLEGOMENON {PRO}{L{EGO}{MENON} New word for me.
8   It's a strange society, a section has no right to happiness (12) SATISFACTION {ITS+A}*{S}{FrACTION}
10 Order that's not in order when stratified (5) CASTE ? See comments
15 Make stuff like spaghetti? (9) ITALICISE [CD]
16 Endlessly violent with one woman, causing distress (8) AGGRIEVE {AGGRo}{1}{EVE}
17 Perfect state (5) UTTER [DD]
20 Bend, squat in the end and leap (6) CURVET {CURVE}{squaT}
21 City's engineers in South Africa and Great Britain (6) ZAGREB {ZA}{G{RE}B}
23 A time to muse (5) ERATO {ERA}{TO}

GRID

No 11501, Wednesday 16 Sep 2015, Lightning

ACROSS
8   Chapter fifty included in test? Not in the score awarded! (11,4) EXCLAMATION MARK {EX{C}{L}AMinATION} {MARK}
9   Irritable engineer with thug regularly breaking into manufacturing facility (8) PETULANT {P{E}{ThUg}LANT}
10 Flawless in diplomacy (6) INTACT {IN}{TACT}
11 Criticism of one ousting university building (9)  STRICTURE STR(-u+i)ICTURE
12 Show topless chest (5) OFFER cOFFER
15 Afflicted with scary illness in the heart becomes underweight (7) SCRAWNY {W+SCARY+illNess}*
17 Eternal goal? Not so much (7) ENDLESS {END}{LESS}
19 Range of strategic chess move cut short at the beginning (5) AMBIT gAMBIT
20 Designed for comfort, therefore no mount in chair for starters (9) ERGONOMIC {ERGO}{NO}{Mo..t}{In}{Ch..r}
23 For qualified gain (6) PROFIT {PRO}{FIT}
25 Ends of snake spanning greyish-brown ridge in a desert (4,4) SAND DUNE {Sna{AND} {DUN}kE}
26 Now freebie might not be distributed (3,3,4,5) FOR THE TIME BEING*

DOWN
1   Omit passage right away (6) EXCEPT EXCErPT
2   Enlightened group’s aim until one left devastated (10) ILLUMINATI {AIM+UNTIL+1+L}*
3   Bestowing one with special skill to entice Member of Parliament in German (9) IMPARTING {1}{MP}{ART}{IN}{G}
4   Importance of the frame of mind I hear you are in (7) STATURE {STAT{UR}E}
5   These gates admit the truth (5) LOGIC [CD]
6   Release monthly payment by end of August (4) EMIT {EMI}{a...sT}
7   Return journeys (8) PROCEEDS [DD]
13 Animal freed by mistake, let inside (6,4) FALLOW DEER {F{ALLOW} DEER*}

14 Bump into noble one almost breaking into register (9) ENCOUNTER {EN{COUNt}TER}
16 Rekindling old romance in this country (8) CAMEROON {O+ROMANCE}*

18 Old kingdom of northern Poland and its neighbour (7) PRUSSIA {Po..d}{RUSSIA}
21 Losing opener, unbeaten for 50 overs, say (6) INNING wINNING
22 Animal seen in hot territories (5) OTTER [T]
24 Chance fellow had (4) FATE {F}{ATE}

GRID