Daily Answers

5-across – US military decoration given to those wounded or killed while in service : PURPLEHEART

7-across – Mythological river forming the border of Hades : STYX

8-across – Kurt __,former German intelligence officer who became UN secretary general : WALDHEIM

9-across – Classical Indo-Aryan language : SANSKRIT

12-across – A supporter of Barnsley FC? : TYKE

13-across – __ Ono,musician and artist : YOKO

15-across – Mad Max: __,the fourth film in the franchise : FURYROAD

17-across – Caroline __,author of Scammer : CALLOWAY

19-across – Steffi __,multiple tennis grand slam winner : GRAF

20-across – Battle which ended in June 1314,commemorated in 2/10 : BANNOCKBURN

1-down – Sir Hugo __,James Bond’s antagonist in Moonraker : DRAX

2-down – Unofficial anthem sung at Murrayfield? : FLOWEROF

3-down – Dish made primarily with lentils or other split pulses : DHAL

4-down – Medical tube suitable for insertion into the body : CATHETER

5-down – Archaeological site in Jordan,also known as Al-Batra : PETRA

6-down – What,according to 2/10,Edward II was sent homeward to do? : THINK

10-down – See 2 : SCOTLAND

11-down – Asian cooking technique in which meats are glazed with soy sauce and sugar : TERIYAKI

14-down – US dental hygiene brand : ORALB

16-down – See 6 : AGAIN

18-down – Mark __,England fast bowler : WOOD

19-down – Territory which,were it not for Asterix and his friends,would have been completely occupied by the Romans? : GAUL

7-across – Martin Crane’s healthcare assistant in Frasier : DAPHNE

8-across – Congolese animals also known as forest giraffes : OKAPIS

9-across – Henning __,comedian from 3 who made his home in 11 : WEHN

10-across – Pat __ MP,current chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster : MCFADDEN

11-across – Lynndie __,soldier at the centre of the 2004 Abu Ghraib scandal in Iraq : ENGLAND

13-across – The __,2007 novel by Doris Lessing : CLEFT

15-across – Country led by Giorgia Meloni : ITALY

17-across – City and river in Michigan : DETROIT

20-across – __ state,nickname for Texas : LONESTAR

21-across – An official language of Pakistan : URDU

23-across – __ Williams,seven-time Wimbledon singles champion : SERENA

24-across – The __ Brothers,pioneers of country rock : EVERLY

1-down – Actor who played 7 : JANE

2-down – Coco __,French fashion designer : CHANEL

3-down – Country bordered by Luxembourg and the Czech Republic : GERMANY

4-down – Jimmy __,US union leader played by Al Pacino in The Irishman : HOFFA

5-down – George Frideric __,composer from 3 who made his home in 11 : HANDEL

6-down – Yann Martel’s Booker prize-winning novel : LIFEOFPI

12-down – Element,atomic number 7 : NITROGEN

14-down – Hereditary ruler from 3 who made his home in 11 : GEORGEI

16-down – See 1 : LEEVES

18-down – Paul __,electronic news pioneer from 3 who made his home in 11 : REUTER

19-down – Jack __,a leader of the Peasants’ Revolt – or British foreign secretary during the Blair government : STRAW

22-down – Herb used to flavour gravlax : DILL

7-across – The Mozambican capital : MAPUTO

8-across – Denise __,bet365 : COATES

9-across – Elon __,Tesla : MUSK

10-across – City at the confluence of the Blue and White Niles : KHARTOUM

12-across – Sir Keir __,prime minister : STARMER

14-across – Jeff __,Amazon : BEZOS

16-across – Ray and Charles __,designers of iconic chairs : EAMES

17-across – Term for those who acquired vast wealth through digital technologies – including several solutions here : TECHBRO

19-across – JM Coetzee’s 1999 Booker prize winner : DISGRACE

20-across – California valley famous for its wines : NAPA

22-across – Obsolete golf term,now meaning to impede : STYMIE

24-across – Chinese plant used as a health supplement : GINKGO

1-down – The capital of Azerbaijan : BAKU

2-down – Mark __,Meta : ZUCKERBERG

3-down – JRR __,author of The Hobbit : TOLKIEN

4-down – Richie __,two-time Rugby World Cup winner as captain of the All Blacks : MCCAW

5-down – Verdi opera set in a Paris salon : LA

6-down – Simone de __,author of The Second Sex : BEAUVOIR

11-down – 1977 novel and 1980 movie by Stephen King and Stanley Kubrick respectively : THESHINING

13-down – See 5 : TRAVIATA

15-down – A dish best served cold? : REVENGE

18-down – Bill __,Microsoft : GATES

21-down – Larry __,Alphabet : PAGE

23-down – Jack __,Alibaba : MA

1-across – London theatre once managed by Lilian Baylis : OLDVIC

5-across – “The __ thing” – a political problem for George Bush Sr : VISION

8-across – The official currency of Montenegro and Kosovo : EURO

9-across – Mountain range forming the border between France and Spain : PYRENEES

10-across – __ Prentiss,character in One of Us Is Lying by Karen M McManus : ADELAIDE

11-across – __ Parks,civil rights campaigner : ROSA

12-across – 2024 8/5 winning country : SWITZERLAND

16-across – Suzanne __,singer known for Tom’s Diner : VEGA

18-across – W Heath __,cartoonist known for his comically complicated drawings of machines : ROBINSON

21-across – Spartan king,the husband of Helen : MENELAUS

22-across – Nickname of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter widely used by US forces in Vietnam : HUEY

23-across – __ Highway,which runs from Darwin via Alice Springs to South Australia : STUART

24-across – __ Canyon,area of Hollywood associated with the 1960s counterculture : LAUREL

2-down – French town after which Madonna named her daughter : LOURDES

3-down – Instrument used for making angled grooves in woodcarving : VTOOL

4-down – Island in the Gulf of Naples : CAPRI

5-down – Dutch painter whose works include Girl with a Pearl Earring : VERMEER

6-down – Spanish punch made with red wine and chopped fruit : SANGRIA

7-down – Dame Lynne __,first woman to be deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan police : OWENS

13-down – The largest of the Galápagos Islands : ISABELA

14-down – Town in 12 at the foot of the Matterhorn : ZERMATT

15-down – An ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop : DIOCESE

17-down – Chris __,multiple tennis grand slam winner : EVERT

19-down – Host city for the 2025 8/5 contest : BASEL

20-down – Jawaharlal __,prime minister of India 1947-1964 : NEHRU

7-across – Protestants – and an anagram of Britney Spears : PRESBYTERIANS

9-across – German city in Saxony : LEIPZIG

10-across – Virtual assistant developed by Amazon : ALEXA

11-across – A type of metrical foot in poetry : IAMB

13-across – A martini that is shaken not stirred : BRADFORD

16-across – Private Eye cartoon character supposedly based on Derek Jameson : SIDYOBBO

18-across – 19th-century term for an opponent of absolute monarchism : WHIG

20-across – Claire __,star of Homeland : DANES

21-across – President of Sinn Féin since 2018 : MARYLOU

23-across – The opening sentence of Moby-Dick : CALLMEISHMAEL

1-down – Student of Plato and author of The Golden Ass : APULEIUS

2-down – Leader of the Conservative party since 2024 : KEMI

3-down – The third largest of the Balearic Islands : IBIZA

4-down – Resort city in Florida : ORLANDO

5-down – See 2 : BADENOCH

6-down – The largest continent : ASIA

8-down – The third animal in the Chinese Zodiac : TIGER

12-down – See 21 Across : MCDONALD

14-down – Charles __,French president 1959-1969 : DEGAULLE

15-down – Dame Edna Everage’s pet name for her audiences : POSSUMS

17-down – Carla’s nickname for J.D. in the sitcom Scrubs : BAMBI

19-down – Dave __,Nirvana drummer and later lead singer in the Foo Fighters : GROHL

20-down – : DOCK

22-down – Billy __,musical and film based on the novel by Keith Waterhouse : LIAR