7-across – The Song of __,poem by Longfellow about a legendary Mohawk leader : HIAWATHA

8-across – Internet shorthand expressing a sometimes sincere sense of humility : IMHO

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

10-across – See 2 Down : LIKEME

11-across – The parliamentary mother of the House,born this day in 1953 : DIANE

13-across – Massachusetts peninsula north of Martha’s Vineyard : CAPECOD

15-across – French luxury jeweller,based in Paris : CARTIER

17-across – __ Newington,London district which forms part of 11/20’s constituency : STOKE

20-across – See 11 : ABBOTT

21-across – Max __,German physicist and Nobel prize winner : PLANCK

23-across – Country whose cities include Tabriz and Isfahan : IRAN

24-across – Michael __,former MP who formed a presenting partnership with 11/20 : PORTILLO

1-down – Wigan __,where Orwell’s road ended? : PIER

2-down – 11/20’s autobiography,published in 2024 : AWOMAN

3-down – The __,fictional mercenaries led by Hannibal Smith : ATEAM

4-down – Alistair __,author of Where Eagles Dare : MACLEAN

5-down – __ Disease,blood disorder disproportionately affecting people of African or Caribbean descent : SICKLE

6-down – Clover used as a symbol of Ireland : SHAMROCK

12-down – __ Kingdom Brunel,19th century engineer : ISAMBARD

14-down – Nazi secret police force : GESTAPO

16-down – Willie __,snooker player and commentator : THORNE

18-down – __ Bickle,character played by Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver : TRAVIS

19-down – __ Agnew,Nixon’s vice-president who resigned in disgrace : SPIRO

22-down – See 5 : CELL

6-across – Lindisfarne __,ruined monastery on Holy Island : PRIORY

7-across – __ Peninsula,AONB in south Wales : GOWER

8-across – Kent __,AONB : DOWNS

9-across – Alex __,cricket commentator : HARTLEY

11-across – See 15 : PLEASANT

13-across – __ Williamson,England football captain : LEAH

14-across – Bridge system named for the club in north London where it was devised : ACOL

15-across – In __,where William Blake,and many politicians since,proposed we build Jerusalem? : ENGLANDS

16-across – Ring of __,AONB in County Armagh : GULLION

18-across – High __,AONB in Kent,Surrey and Sussex : WEALD

21-across – Japanese brand known for its cameras and photocopiers : CANON

22-across – Anne __,mother of Queen Elizabeth I : BOLEYN

1-down – Jason’s ship in Greek mythology : ARGO

2-down – County and AONB in southern England : CORNWALL

3-down – __ Valley,AONB in England and Wales : WYE

4-down – Term for a paramilitary unit in law enforcement : SWAT

5-down – See 15 Across : GREENAND

7-down – Horticultural technique for joining the tissues of plants : GRAFTAGE

10-down – City overlooked by Table Mountain : CAPETOWN

12-down – Journalistic shorthand for the rugby rivalry between France and England? : LECRUNCH

13-down – Carmarthenshire town,home to the Scarlets rugby team : LLANELLI

17-down – See 15 Across : LAND

19-down – __ Peninsula,AONB in north Wales : LLYN

20-down – Broadcaster born in 1922 : BBC

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