Daily Answers

1-across – John __,leader of the Scottish National Party : SWINNEY

5-across – See 22 Down : PARTY

8-across – As __ – how Blair et al were elected and how they planned to govern in 1997? : NEW

9-across – Macedonian king : ALEXANDER

10-across – Henry,Jane,Peter,Bridget __ – acting dynasty : FONDA

11-across – The __,Lancastrian dynasty? : TUDORS

13-across – Bernard __,Margaret Thatcher’s press secretary : INGHAM

15-across – Tom __,friend of Becky and Huckleberry : SAWYER

18-across – Peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014 : CRIMEA

20-across – A Russian country house : DACHA

23-across – Section of the Eucharist during which the wine and bread are brought to the altar : OFFERTORY

24-across – Abbreviation to describe soldiers whose fate is uncertain : MIA

25-across – __ Witherspoon,star of Legally Blonde : REESE

26-across – Sears,__ and Co. – US store chain : ROEBUCK

1-down – We Ourselves? Political 5 across in Ireland : SINNFEIN

2-down – A native of Des Moines? : IOWAN

3-down – __ Falls,popular honeymoon destination in New York State : NIAGARA

4-down – __ Cooper,foreign secretary : YVETTE

5-down – Welsh nationalist 5 across : PLAID

6-down – Military force first created by Leon Trotsky : REDARMY

7-down – County of which Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is no longer duke? : YORK

12-down – Extinct flightless bird also known as a garefowl : GREATAUK

14-down – The __ and the Pelly and Me – Roald Dahl novel : GIRAFFE

16-down – Area of north Belfast bordered by the Crumlin Road : ARDOYNE

17-down – See 8 Across : LABOUR

19-down – Samuel __ co-creator of his eponymous telegraph code : MORSE

21-down – See 5 : CYMRU

22-down – Political grouping led by Corbyn,Sultana and others : YOUR

1-across – See 15 Down : VERSAILLES

6-across – See 15 Down : OF

9-across – Charlotte __,England cricket coach : EDWARDS

10-across – US state,capital Boise : IDAHO

11-across – __ Cherry,Swedish rapper : NENEH

12-across – Danish peninsula,scene of a famous naval battle in 1916 : JUTLAND

13-across – __ Accords,1978 peace agreements between Egypt and Israel : CAMPDAVID

17-across – 1978 song by the Police : ROXANNE

19-across – Acronym for a device that amplifies and emits light : LASER

21-across – Hawaiian greeting : ALOHA

22-across – Christian __,Danish footballer who suffered a cardiac arrest while playing in Euro 2020 : ERIKSEN

23-across – Restaurant chain known for its conveyor belt of dishes : YO

24-across – Scotland’s ‘big county’ : PERTHSHIRE

1-down – Congress of __,where peace in Europe was agreed,following the Napoleonic wars : VIENNA

2-down – __ Williams,archbishop of Canterbury 2002 – 2012 : ROWAN

3-down – __ Accords,set of agreements establishing diplomatic ties between Israel and a number of Arab states : ABRAHAM

4-down – The __,Michelangelo fresco in the Sistine Chapel : LASTJUDGEMENT

5-down – George __,author of The Mill on the Floss : ELIOT

7-down – Norwegian coastal inlets : FJORDS

8-down – Le __ enchaîné,French satirical and investigative magazine : CANARD

13-down – William __ credited with introducing the printing press to England : CAXTON

14-down – The Lithuanian capital : VILNIUS

15-down – Peace agreement following the first world war : TREATY

16-down – Lucy __,England and Chelsea footballer : BRONZE

18-down – Airey __,aide to Margaret Thatcher murdered by car bomb in March 1939 : NEAVE

20-down – See 23 Across : SUSHI

7-across – Pablo __,Chilean politician and Nobel prize-winning poet : NERUDA

8-across – Val Kilmer’s nickname in Top Gun : ICEMAN

9-across – Body of water sometimes called the pond? : ATLANTICOCEAN

10-across – Ben E. King’s song – and one by Oasis : STAND

12-across – The Swedish parliament : RIKSDAG

14-across – Baroness Rosie __,co-founder of Spare Rib : BOYCOTT

16-across – Billy __,folk musician known for A New England : BRAGG

19-across – Climate activist born this day 2003 : GRETATHUNBERG

21-across – __ Cavanagh,Emmerdale character played by Mimi Slinger : LEANNA

22-across – What the 8 does in the title of a 1939 play by Eugene O’Neill? : COMETH

1-down – A musical group with six members : SEXTET

2-down – Hebridean island – or mountains between France and Switzerland : JURA

3-down – Island country in the Mediterranean : MALTA

4-down – Guy __,director of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare : RITCHIE

5-down – South American trader organisation also known as the Southern Common Market : MERCOSUR

6-down – __ Yousafzai,activist and Nobel laureate : MALALA

11-down – Addictive alkaloid found in tobacco : NICOTINE

13-down – Jason __,frequent collaborator with 4 : STATHAM

15-down – Edna __,author of The Country Girls : OBRIEN

17-down – Sir __ Southgate,former football manager : GARETH

18-down – Plant also known as Adam’s needle : YUCCA

20-down – See 10 Across : BYME

7-across – __ Sophia,mosque in Istanbul : HAGIA

8-across – Church on the Île de la Cité in Paris : NOTRE

9-across – See 8 : DAME

10-across – Rope bind commonly used in sail riggings : REEFKNOT

11-across – The __,comic strip by Gary Larson : FARSIDE

12-across – Günter __,author of The Tin Drum : GRASS

15-across – The Bulgarian capital : SOFIA

17-across – Landmark structure in St Louis,said to be where “the West” begins : GATEWAY

20-across – Japanese city whose Christian churches are recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site : NAGASAKI

22-across – Common name for powdered magnesium silicate : TALC

23-across – See 19 Down : COEUR

24-across – __ the Line,Johnny Cash’s signature song : IWALK

1-down – Fortified mission in San Antonio,Texas,besieged by Mexican troops in 1836 : THEALAMO

2-down – White long-legged wading birds : EGRETS

3-down – Barcelona church designed by Gaudí : SAGRADA

4-down – London Tube station between King’s Cross and Old Street : ANGEL

5-down – Bram __,author of Dracula : STOKER

6-down – Roman emperor,preceded by Claudius : NERO

13-down – Tchaikovsky ballet telling the story of Siegfried and Odette : SWANLAKE

14-down – See 3 : FAMILIA

16-down – __ Hardman,author of Why We Get the Wrong Politicians : ISABEL

18-down – BBC sitcom starring Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant : EXTRAS

19-down – Basilica on Montmartre,Paris : SACRE

21-down – See 17 Across : ARCH

7-across – 1986 movie starring Sean Connery and Christian Slater : THENAME

9-across – See 7 : OFTHE

10-across – Building made of mudbrick – or a software company : ADOBE

11-across – Tapered monument often to the war dead : OBELISK

12-across – Language spoken widely in east and central Africa : SWAHILI

14-across – See 18 : DEGLI

16-across – French cigarette paper brand : RIZLA

17-across – The Roman goddess of wisdom and justice : MINERVA

18-across – The national anthem of Italy whose title means The Song of the Italians : ILCANTO

20-across – Bacterium commonly found in faecal discharge : ECOLI

22-across – The former wife of Donald Trump : IVANA

23-across – Thomas __,sailor hanged for his part in the mutiny on the Bounty : ELLISON

1-down – Major __,Nazi antagonist in the film Casablanca : STRASSER

2-down – Anna __,novel by Tolstoy : KARENINA

3-down – Giorgia __,prime minister of Italy : MELONI

4-down – See 7 Across : ROSE

5-down – A freelance journalist – or supporting section of a staircase? : STRINGER

6-down – US musician whose albums include Colors and Hyperspace : BECK

8-down – Umberto __,author of 7/9/4 : ECO

13-down – 25 April – in memory of Tonga,Australia and New Zealand soldiers : ANZACDAY

14-down – Declan __,one half of Ant & Dec : DONNELLY

15-down – See 18 Across : ITALIANI

17-down – Beth __ Australian cricketer : MOONEY

18-down – Wading bird – or a budget hotel chain : IBIS

19-down – Trevor __,South African comedian who was “born a crime” : NOAH

21-down – The precursor to the CIA : OSS