7-across – Country calling itself ‘the warm heart of Africa’ : MALAWI

8-across – Eugene __,novel by Alexander Pushkin : ONEGIN

9-across – Al Jazeera journalist killed in Gaza in August 2025 : ANAS

10-across – See 9 : ALSHARIF

11-across – See 14 Down : THIONGO

13-across – See 15 : LAMMY

15-across – The British foreign secretary : DAVID

17-across – Author of The War of the Worlds : HGWELLS

19-across – London borough which includes Romford : HAVERING

21-across – US company making audio equipment : BOSE

22-across – Sea bordered by Russia and Finland : BALTIC

23-across – Rebel __,Australian actor : WILSON

1-down – __ Baxter,character played by Billie Piper in Secret Diary of a Call Girl : HANNAH

2-down – Bruno __,pseudonym of Peter Gene Hernandez : MARS

3-down – Anne __,mayor of Paris : HIDALGO

4-down – Syrian city once known as Emesa : HOMS

5-down – River after which the second smallest of the United States is named : DELAWARE

6-down – __ Margolyes,actor and author : MIRIAM

12-down – Italian company making office equipment : OLIVETTI

14-down – Kenyan novelist and playwright whose works include The River Between : NGUGIWA

16-down – 2009 science fiction film – or an icon representing a person online : AVATAR

18-down – Portuguese city,a destination for digital nomads? : LISBON

20-down – Length equivalent to 2.54 cm : INCH

21-down – Indonesian island,a popular holiday destination : BALI

5-across – ITV hit series starring Rose Ayling-Ellis : CODEOF

7-across – US award for outstanding achievement in music : GRAMMY

9-across – A biscuit in Australia – or a casino in Monaco : MONTECARLO

10-across – US medical drama which made George Clooney famous : ER

11-across – A type of medieval trumpet : CLARION

13-across – Netflix detective series starring Matthew Goode and Chloe Pirrie : DEPTQ

15-across – Shaped like an egg? : OVOID

16-across – English cathedral city – or a US president : LINCOLN

18-across – BBC series based on the novel by Bernardine Evaristo : MR

19-across – Broadcaster and journalist,former editor of the Sunday Times : ANDREWNEIL

21-across – Sir __ Southgate,former England men’s football manager : GARETH

22-across – Stella __ MP,noted campaigner for reproductive rights : CREASY

1-down – Extinct bird used as a caricature in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland : DODO

2-down – The __,music reality franchise created by Simon Cowell : XFACTOR

3-down – A meeting place in Greece – or a unit of currency in Israel : AGORA

4-down – Swiss valley and its eponymous cheese : EMMENTAL

6-down – The battle cry of the Daleks? : EXTERMINATE

8-down – Netflix series starring Owen Cooper : ADOLESCENCE

12-down – See 18 Across : LOVERMAN

14-down – See 5 Across : SILENCE

17-down – US state bordered by Washington and Wyoming : IDAHO

20-down – Latin abbreviation meaning ‘of the current month’ : INST

7-across – One of the three Abrahamic religions : ISLAM

8-across – One who flew too close to the sun? : ICARUS

9-across – __ McEntire,singer whose hits include The Last One to Know : REBA

10-across – The tragic daughter of Oedipus : ANTIGONE

11-across – The former secret police of East Germany : STASI

13-across – The last album the Beatles released – and its title song : LETITBE

15-across – Spice Girls hit which they performed at the 2012 Olympic closing ceremony : WANNABE

17-across – City once known as Edo : TOKYO

20-across – Dish made with stir-fried noodles : CHOWMEIN

21-across – See 2 Down : LOOK

23-across – See 2 Down : BRIGHT

24-across – Jimmy __,union leader whose disappearance is the subject of Scorsese’s The Irishman : HOFFA

1-down – See 2 : SIDE

2-down – Eric Idle song,performed at the 2012 Olympic closing ceremony : ALWAYS

3-down – The Jordanian capital : AMMAN

4-down – Liverpool suburb,home of the Grand National? : AINTREE

5-down – The capital of the Central African Republic : BANGUI

6-down – Nigerian singer with whom Sarina Wiegman danced at the England victory parade : BURNABOY

12-down – __ Highland Cream,a whisky brand : TEACHERS

14-down – Irish poet and senator whose works include When You are Old and Grey : WBYEATS

16-down – Term for those who reject western values in favour of various forms of spirituality and mysticism : NEWAGE

18-down – See 2 : OFLIFE

19-down – See 2 : ONTHE

22-down – The __,home ground for Surrey cricket : OVAL

7-across – An official language of Nigeria also spoken in 4 : YORUBA

8-across – __-Romagna,region of Italy : EMILIA

9-across – __ Dufresne,character in The Shawshank Redemption played by Tim Robbins : ANDY

10-across – Body of water surrounding the Isle of Man : IRISHSEA

11-across – Willy __,former chancellor of West Germany : BRANDT

13-across – T.S. __,author of The Waste Land : ELIOT

15-across – Country bordered by Somalia and Tanzania : KENYA

17-across – The Greek capital : ATHENS

20-across – Term for an internet furore,often involving trolling : FLAMEWAR

21-across – Hot sauce made from chilli peppers : PIRI

22-across – Spider in Ghanaian folklore : ANANSI

23-across – Exclamation attributed to Archimedes in his bath : EUREKA

1-down – Biscuit made from rolled oats : HOBNOB

2-down – __ Barton,character who appears in a series of novels by Elizabeth Strout : LUCY

3-down – __ Wormwood,title character in Roald Dahl’s novel : MATILDA

4-down – Country bordered by Togo and Nigeria : BENIN

5-down – Young player of the Women’s Euro 2025 : MICHELLE

6-down – Senator and sceptic in ancient Rome : CICERO

12-down – See 5 : AGYEMANG

14-down – Sir Keir __,toolmaker’s son : STARMER

16-down – London district associated with 1950s comedies : EALING

18-down – Bird also known as a butcherbird : SHRIKE

19-down – Mark __,pseudonym of Samuel Clemens : TWAIN

21-down – See 21 Across : PIRI

6-across – 1955 teen movie starring James Dean and Natalie Wood : REBELWITHOUTA

8-across – Small sac in the body usually containing fluid : CYST

9-across – National park in central California : YOSEMITE

10-across – 1995 teen movie starring Alicia Silverstone : CLUELESS

12-across – Billy __,singer known especially for Piano Man : JOEL

13-across – __ of the Apostles,New Testament book : ACTS

15-across – Elena __,author of My Brilliant Friend : FERRANTE

18-across – Dauphinoise potatoes,also known as potatoes __? : AUGRATIN

20-across – 1985 teen movie starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd : BACK

21-across – Recurrent anthropomorphic character in European fables,known for his cunning : REYNARDTHEFOX

1-down – Dr Henry __,sometimes known as Mr Hyde : JEKYLL

2-down – 1988 teen movie starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater : HEATHERS

3-down – Patrick __,star of Dirty Dancing : SWAYZE

4-down – What occurs when all forces are equal and opposing? : STASIS

5-down – Videoconferencing company founded by Eric Yuan : ZOOM

7-down – See 20 Across : TOTHE

11-down – __ Barker retired tennis champion and television presenter : SUE

12-down – Singer known especially for Diamonds and Rust : JOANBAEZ

14-down – See 6 Across : CAUSE

15-down – See 20 Across : FUTURE

16-down – __ Tebaldi,soprano : RENATA

17-down – Arizona city close to the Mexican border : TUCSON

19-down – The South African currency : RAND