No 11269, Thursday 18 Dec 2014, xChequer

An out of turn xChequer and I'm in the soup. Requesting Kishore to complete it as I have to go out to take Cocoa to my wife's school for Pet day.

Special thanks to those who chipped in with answers and annos. Well solved, everyone.

ACROSS
7   Know any foreign national? (6) KENYAN {KEN}{ANY*}
8   Resounding when mouth's almost stuffed! (8) VOICEFUL (VOICE FULl)
9   Elated state seen in heroic dancing (8) EUPHORIC {E{UP}HORIC*}
10 In conclusion, appeal succeeded (6) ENSUED {EN{SUE}D}
11 Cow died at the BBC, but that's not shown (5) DAUNT (D+ AUNTie)
12 Bring up born pest (6) BROACH (B ROACH)
14 Sailor's mock oath in airy rhyme, bit remiss to include verse (6,2,7) SHIVER ME MY TIMBERS  ((RHYME BIT REMISS)* around V)
17 Devout covering some distance to get to sermon (6) HOMILY (HO(MI)LY)
18 Fire in bachelor lounge (5) BLAZE {B}{LAZE}
22 Buzz in lively bar dance (6) RHUMBA (R(HUM)BA*)
23 Eccentric mint chewing poetic setter's on the way (8) IMMINENT {IM{MINE}NT*}
24 Meet, rest, off in planes (8) JOINTERS (JOIN REST*)
25 Is trapped male governed by reason? What an odd idea! (6) WHIMSY {WH{I{M}S}Y}

DOWN
1   Abuse the dummy winning heat hands down (9) BEQUEATH (ABUSE THE)* around Q=heat)
2   Dash north to support husband featuring in extravagant publicity (6) HYPHEN {HYP{H}E}{N}
3   Outrage essentially shown in nasal discharge (5) SNORT {SNO{outRage}T}&lit
4   Intellectuals can be drunk at times before it boomerangs (8) LITERATI {LIT}{ERA}{TI<=}
5   Alibi has me mixed up protecting respected Indian lady (8) MEMSAHIB (HASME* protecting I) part Anno pending  (T<)
6   Cauliflower head with excellent stuffing made well (5) CURED (E in CURD)
8   Offices of sovereign representative failing to meet regal commitments (13) VICEROYALTIES (VICE ROYAL TIES)
13 Duty surrounding Nazi rule fraught with insanity (9) CRAZINESS {C{R}{AZIN*}ESS}
15 Passionate opening keeping everyone initially on edge (8) VEHEMENT (E HEM in VENT)
16 Summoned after sheep ran wild (8) RAMPAGED (RAM PAGED)
19 Long flowing garments left privates unconstrained (6) LUNGIS ? {L}UN{GIS} UN constrained= UN is held in
20 Flights picked up some flowering plants (5) PHLOX (~FLOCKS=flights)
21 Diving ducks appearing as small seagulls (5) SMEWS {S}{MEWS}

GRID

No 11268, Wednesday 17 Dec 2014, Anon

ACROSS
1   Paintings made initially on mountain range (6) MURALS {Made}{URALS}
4   Blueprints are drawings? (6) DRAFTS [DD]
9   Inland letters from Caucasian (4) ASIA [T]
10 China’s mysterious pearl coins (10) PORCELAINS*
11 Skirt perhaps in good condition (6) KILTER {KILT}{ER}
12 Heave heartless bird into temple (8) PANTHEON {PANT}{HErON}
13 Take a dig at second-rate photograph (5,4) CHEAP SHOT [DD]
15 Deadly for the obese to return from Los Angeles (5) FATAL {FAT}{AL<=}
16 End of box almost covered by painting (5) ABORT {A{BOx}RT}
18 Army man slipped and fell (9) COLLAPSED {COL}{LAPSED}
22 Made chat with pita or Indian bread? (8) CHAPATTI {CHAT+PITA}*
23 Seizes first of grandmother’s files (6) GRASPS {Gr...r}{RASPS}
25 Melt one lab to make corrosion-resistant substance (5,5) NOBLE METAL*
26 Therefore, ruffians lose the first game (4) THUS THUgS
27 Hitler’s police captures former Wimbledon champion, belts him (6) SASHES {S{ASHE}S}
28 Presumed love, sighed (6) OPINED {O}{PINED}

DOWN
1   The saviour’s (Maradona’s) heir apparent is back? Ha! (7) MESSIAH {MESSI}{AH<=}
2   One sheltered from tirade is mirthful (5) RIANT {R{1}ANT}
3   Orchid, first two lilacs at European capital (7) LIPARIS {LIlacs}{PARIS}

5   Lamenting verdict that replaces first lady with European leader (6) RUEING RU(-l+e)EING
6   Superhero’s light is a photographic aid (5,4) FLASH LAMP {FLASH}{LAMP}
7   Zulu healer crooned with love for mother (7) SANGOMA{SANG}{O}{MA}

8   Typo costs girl, misleads decoders (13) CRYPTOLOGISTS*
14 A harvest sent up tower at Greek citadel (9) ACROPOLIS {A}{CROP}{OLIS<=}
17 Bee almost foots the profits (7) BEHOOFS {BEe}{HOOFS}
19 Run away from undergarment of fielder? (3,4) LEG SLIP {LEG} {SLIP}
20 Comment on the former currency (7) EXPOUND {EX}{POUND}
21 Block enclosure with most men who protect Indian leader (6) STYMIE {STY}{M{In...n}En}
24 Pursue activity even after loss of one (3,2) ACT ON {ACTiON}

GRID