Topical fun from Julius. Find it to solve online or download and print at ft.com/crossword
You can always rely on Julius to provide an entertaining puzzle with inventive, witty wordplay. Lots of good clues here but the great anagram at 19 across is perhaps the pick of the bunch.
Thanks, Julius!
Definitions are underlined in the clues below.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | SNAPCHAT |
Suddenly break off talks announced in social media app (8)
|
| SNAP (suddenly break off) +CHAT (talks)
Reference to Trump making announcements on negotiations with Iran via his Truth Social platform |
||
| 5 | AGE GAP |
Something to consider when dating silver leaf from the east (3,3)
|
| AG (silver) + PAGE (leaf) reversed (from the east) | ||
| 10 | JET FUEL |
Its rare quality might keep me grounded (3,4)
|
| Cryptic definition
The ongoing situation in Iran is causing shortages of jet fuel with many flights cancelled as a result |
||
| 11 | MET GALA |
London WPC first to attend high society do (3,4)
|
| MET GAL (London WPC) + first [letter] to Attend
The annual display of ostentatious wealth was held in New York this month |
||
| 12/14 | DAVID ATTENBOROUGH |
Broadcaster shot bat devouring toad back in Isleworth (5,12)
|
| Anagram (shot) of BAT DEVOURING TOAD + last letter (back) in islewortH
National treasure Sir David celebrated his 100th birthday this month |
||
| 13 | BATHSHEBA |
Hardy lass who had heart of Oak? (9)
|
| Cryptic definition
Bathsheba Everdene is the main character in Thomas Hardy’s Far From The Madding Crowd. One of her three suitors in the novel is Gabriel Oak |
||
| 19 | WES STREETING |
“Resign!” tweets dodgy opportunist (3,9)
|
| Anagram (dodgy) of RESIGN TWEETS
The former Health Secretary has been leading calls for Keir Starmer to resign |
||
| 22 | LOUNGE BAR |
Where we might find Kash Patel ordering grub alone? (6,3)
|
| Anagram (ordering) of GRUB ALONE
It’s been widely reported that the director of the FBI allegedly has a drink problem |
||
| 25 | FROTH |
Frivolity following US novelist Philip? (5)
|
| F (following) + ROTH (US novelist Philip Roth) | ||
| 26 | GRECIAN |
Scholar beginning to grumble about Agency name (7)
|
| First letter of (beginning to) Grumble + RE (about) +CIA (agency) + N (name) | ||
| 27 | GENTIAN |
Alpine chap undressing Joanna? (7)
|
| GENT (chap) + [p]IAN[o] (Joanna) with first and last letters removed (undressing) | ||
| 28 | TRYSTS |
Secret meetings held in Coventry St, Stourbridge (6)
|
| Hidden (held) in covenTRY ST Stourbridge
Possibly in the Ghurka Bar and Grill on that thoroughfare? (rated 4.6/5 on TripAdvisor) |
||
| 29 | PYRENEES |
Build-up of firewood observed going round highlands (8)
|
| PYRE (build-up of firewood) + SEEN (observed) reversed (going round) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | ST JUDE |
Shoot-out drained Bellingham, perhaps the epitome of hopeless causes (2,4)
|
| Shoot-ouT with middle letters removed (drained) + JUDE (Bellingham, perhaps) | ||
| 2 | ACTIVE |
Brisk penultimate section of Shakespeare tragedy beginning in Elsinore (6)
|
| ACT IV (penultimate section of Shakespeare tragedy) + first letter (beginning) in Elsinore | ||
| 3 | COUP D’ETAT |
Plot to topple leader acted out brutally when assuming power (4,5)
|
| Anagram (brutally) of ACTED OUT containing (assuming) P (power)
Possibly a reference to plans to oust Keir Starmer as Prime Minister |
||
| 4 | ALLA BREVE |
Flipping severe verbal lashing includes instruction to players (4,5)
|
| Hidden (includes) & reversed (flipping) in severE VERBAL LAshing | ||
| 6 | GOTHS |
Old people contracted case of hantavirus (5)
|
| GOT (contracted) + first and last letters (case) of HantaviruS
The MV Hondius cruise ship suffered an outbreak of hantavirus earlier this month |
||
| 7 | GRATEFUL |
Expressing thanks, the old king dined almost drunk (8)
|
| GR (George Rex = the old king) + ATE (dined) + FUL[l] (drunk, almost) | ||
| 8 | PHARAOHS |
Area captured by crazy pro-Shah ruling class from yesteryear (8)
|
| A (area) contained (captured) by an anagram (crazy) of PRO-SHAH
Reference to the ongoing situation in Iran |
||
| 9 | SMUT |
Starts to suspect Maxwell uploaded totally inappropriate material (4)
|
| First letters (starts) to Suspect Maxwell Uploaded Totally | ||
| 15 | BETH RIGBY |
Times acquires Echo, upsetting bright politics hack (4,5)
|
| BY (times) contains (acquires) E (echo) + anagram (upsetting) of BRIGHT
The Sky News political editor clashed with Reform leader Nigel Farage the other day over the £5m donations he received from a cryptocurrency billionaire |
||
| 16 | RING-FENCE |
Separate telephone receiver? (4-5)
|
| RING (telephone) + FENCE (receiver [of stolen goods]) | ||
| 17 | TWILIGHT |
Wife unwrapped silk figure-hugging trousers in the early evening (8)
|
| W (wife) + [s]IL[k] with first and last letters removed (unwrapped), which TIGHT (figure-hugging) contains (trousers) | ||
| 18 | ASTUTELY |
A small boy king, see, in a shrewd way (8)
|
| A + S (small) + TUT (boy king) + Ely (see) | ||
| 20/21 | MOBILE PHONES |
Alabama city calls Trump’s latest 23 (6,6)
|
| Mobile (Alabama city) + PHONES (calls)
Trump announced that he is cancelling his plans to launch a mobile phone, pocketing the millions paid by people who signed up to the scheme |
||
| 23 | GRIFT |
Grand international newspaper covers Republican swindle (5)
|
| G (grand) + I (international) + FT (newspaper) covers R (Republican) | ||
| 24 | BUNG |
Surveillance device picks up conclusion of multimillion bribe (4)
|
| BUG (surveillance device) contains (picks up) last letter (conclusion) of multimillioN |
19 across is indeed brilliant. Sadly, there are too many news stories where BUNG might apply. I’m going with Nigel’s 5m.
I googled Pyrenees in the news and learnt that a great Pyrenees guard dog became a social media sensation by chasing off a grizzly bear.