No 11716, Thursday 02 Jun 2016, Incognito

ACROSS
8   Metropolitan Police Service headquarters releases northern UK compound (4) YARD {scotland YARD}
9   Throw away the sap (5) DITCH [DD]
10 Money making plant or herb (4) MINT [DD]
11 Little bear is terrified at first with an artist like Picasso (6) CUBIST {CUB}{IS}{Te...d}
12 Type of test for which dentist does not use writing instruments (4,4) ORAL EXAM [CD]
13 Queen’s sixth commercial tax officer’s on air, as rescheduled (8) VICTORIA {VI}{CTO}{AIR*}
15 First Europeans join together and come out (6) EMERGE {Eu...s}{MERGE}
17 Elephant litters have initially hazy and distorted shadow (7) HOWDAHS {Hazy}{SHADOW*}
19 Leaves on road with pieces of South African money (7) STRANDS {ST}{RANDS}
22 Sepoy goes back after primary meeting with sighted persons (6) MYOPES {Me...g}{SEPOY<=} Should that have been 'short sighted persons'?
24 After Yankee left, only chess is played at the famous Scottish lake (4,4) LOCH NESS {ONLy+CHESS}*
26 Remix cos mixture for ritual to drive away demons (8) EXORCISM*
28 Chief husband is fat (6) CHUBBY {C}{HUBBY}
30 Record measuring instrument (4) TAPE [DD]
31 Goodbye! Die in Australia! (5) ADIEU {A{DIE}U}
32 Make a gun ready to shoot a male bird (4) COCK [DD]

DOWN
1   Indian government official has bachelor's degree before university started (4) BABU {BA}{Be...e}{Un...y}
2   Owned up and let in (8) ADMITTED [DD]
3   Journalist dies horribly, without a hint of suffering, on a mountain (6) EDITOR {DIEs}*{TOR}
4   Reversible German person's furniture (7) OTTOMAN {OTTO}{MAN}
5   Most economical to pack simian in a box (8) CHEAPEST {CHE{APE}ST}
6   Pilgrim pedestrian carries hamper (6) IMPEDE [T]
7   Peruvian civilisation found in Wetaskiwin, Canada (4) INCA [T]
14 Elephant tusk material or ivy compound? (5) IVORY*
16 & 29 Ask big doc about declaration of the return of the almighty (3,2) GOD IS BACK*
18 Healthcare institution for treatment of a shot lip (8) HOSPITAL*
20 Declare that an ounce can have new impregnation (8) ANNOUNCE {AN}{N}{OUNCE}
21 Spinster's old card game (3,4) OLD MAID [DD] Old could have been left out
23 He carries bags, O'Henry (6) PORTER [DD]
25 Law in Central United States about a spiny plant (6) CACTUS {C}{ACT}{US}
27 Cross Sam's return – it is celebrated six days before the end of the year (4) XMAS {X}{SAM<=}
29  See 16 (4)

GRID

No 11715, Wednesday 01 Jun 2016, Scintillator

Laboured(sic) through this delivery(sic) from Scintillator and didn't enjoy the crossword one bit. Clues like 23A, 25A, were too convoluted for my liking.

ACROSS
1   Band to provide with weapons and permit (6) ARMLET {ARM}{LET}
4   A simple way to thwart shot in cricket (8) CROSSCUT {CROSS}{CUT} A simpler way would have been better
9   Semi-repetition is part of fitting formula (6) RECIPE  {R{ECho}IPE}
10 Inertia, I see, does not stay during Christmas (8) NATIVITY iNAcTIVITY
12 Greed shows through in a victory scramble (8) VORACITY*
13 Soldiers track missing baby (6) INFANT INFANTry
15 Jubilant journalist quits to get out of office (4) LATE eLATEd To get out of office? See comments
16 Trusts on line-up so misplaced (6,4)  RELIES UPON {RE}{LINE-UP+SO}*
19 Prescribe tots no pre-treatment in this medicine (10) OBSTETRICS {preSCRIBE+TOTS}* It should have been a 'branch of medicine'
20 Extract a nutritious secretion (4) MILK [DD]
23 Where it's regressive mistake to hit ball onto meshwork (6) TENNIS {TEN}{NIS}<= &lit What's the role of 'hit ball' ? Where's the definition?
25 Football's leader database ropes in a champion in the interim (8) FINALIST {Fo...l}{IN}{A}{LIST} Why 'in the interim'?
27 My second lecturer guarded like a parent (8) MOTHERLY {M{OTHER}{L}Y} L for lecturer? See comments
28 Love to work on time – a long time (6) DOTAGE {DO}{T}{AGE}
29 Hang around with liberal pal, and ask to keep mouth shut (8) LALLYGAG {L}{ALLY}{GAG}
30 Newspapers' brain and heart, for example (6) ORGANS [DD]

DOWN
1   Newcomer finds established musician mostly a competitor (7) ARRIVAL {A}{Ra}{RIVAL}
2   Bhima's weapon tears miscreant and breaks up (9) MACERATES {MACE}{TEARS*}
3   Suppose former partner gave a quick kiss, say (6) EXPECT {EX}{PECT}(~ pecked)
5   Stray mad man found killed in Namma Metro supposedly (4) ROAM {namMA+metRO}* Met from found?
6   Blow up lens; miss being thin (8) SLIMNESS*
7   Comrade of a Communist nation (5) CHINA {CHIN}{A}

8   Attempt bravely to pass year in a natural satellite (3,2,2) TRY IT ON {TR{Y} IT ON} Why bravely?
11 Three articles on Right that's fundamental (2,5) AT HEART {A}{T HE}{A{R}T} (Addendum - {A}{T HE}{A}{RT} - See comments)
14 Interest in Britain is diminished for snack (7) BISCUIT {B}{IS}{CU{I}T}
17 She has one kid to dress up and a pair to be put in disguise (9) PRIMIPARA {PRIM}{A+PAIR}*
18 Consignment of French uniform (8) DELIVERY {DE}{LIVERY}
19 Upset, wishful Amit: "Potato sandwiches most desirable!" (7) OPTIMAL [T<=]
21 Baggage placed above somewhat nervous young ones (7) KITTENS {KIT}{TENSe}
22 Party work demanding physical effort (6) LABOUR [DD]
24 Native home one sold off in hill station (5) NATAL NAiniTAL
26 People adept in giving excuse (4) PLEA [T]

GRID