The monthly crossword themed around current affairs, this month brought to you by Jason. Find it online at ft.com/crossword
A very enjoyable puzzle as we expect from the veteran setter. Thanks, Jason!
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | DOOMSDAY |
Flipping gloom and sad, sad, unknown time of reckoning (8)
|
| MOOD (gloom) reversed (flipping) + anagram (sad) of SAD + Y (unknown) | ||
| 5 | USES UP |
American energy supplement finishes (4,2)
|
| US (American) + E (energy) + SUP (supplement) | ||
| 9 | FREEBIES |
See brief about ‘donations’ (8)
|
| Anagram (about) of SEE BRIEF
The investigation into donations to Reform UK in ongoing |
||
| 10 | SLEAZE |
Immorality, as they say, kills — Head of Education admitted (6)
|
| Soundalike (as they say) of “SLAYS” with the first letter (head) of Education inserted (admitted) | ||
| 12 | NOBEL |
New award left as prize (5)
|
| N (new) + OBE (award) + L (left)
The Nobel prizes for 2026 were awarded this month, including the prize for peace awarded to South African lawyer Navi Pillay, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights |
||
| 13 | INNOCENCE |
Local church in former purity (9)
|
| INN (local) + CE (church) in ONCE (former) | ||
| 14 | ARCHER |
Perhaps a longbowman who’s left (6)
|
| Two definitions
The politician, novelist and convicted criminal Jeffrey Archer died this month aged 86 |
||
| 16 | NOTEPAD |
Gibberish on a dept jotter (7)
|
| Anagram (gibberish) of ON A DEPT | ||
| 19 | AVERRED |
‘Hail, end of order’ revolutionary declared (7)
|
| AVE (hail) + last letter (end) of ordeR + RED (revolutionary) | ||
| 21 | TORRID |
Passionate nonsense turned free (6)
|
| ROT (nonsense) reversed (turned) + RID (free) | ||
| 23 | EMBATTLES |
Met bleats absurdly so readies for trouble (9)
|
| Anagram (absurdly) of MET BLEATS | ||
| 25 | RIOTS |
French fracas current in breakdowns (5)
|
| I (current) in ROTS (breakdowns)
There’s been more trouble on the streets of French cities this weekend, with a thousand arrests yesterday |
||
| 26 | TRANCE |
Deep state, perhaps, plan to hold name (6)
|
| TRACE (plan) containing (to hold) N (name) | ||
| 27 | FAIRFORD |
Open crossing could be a place of trouble (8)
|
| FAIR (open) + FORD (crossing)
A group of men were arrested for behaving suspiciously near RAF Fairford base in Gloucestershire, supposedly with terrorist connections |
||
| 28 | YODELS |
Sings of oiks beginning to die for king (6)
|
| YO[k]ELS (oiks) with the K (king) replaced by the first letter of (beginning to) Die | ||
| 29 | HYPNOSIS |
Sleepy state is behind posh NY altering (8)
|
| IS behind an anagram (altering) of POSH NY | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | DEFUND |
Remove income from Democrat electronic reserve (6)
|
| D (Democrat) + E (electronic) + FUND (reserve) | ||
| 2 | OVERBORNE |
Browbeaten on top of pain carrying Burnham’s central point (9)
|
| OVER (on top of) + BORE (pain) containing (carrying) the middle letter (central point) of burNham
Wasn’t sure about bore = pain but of course it’s in the sense of a boring/annoying person |
||
| 3 | SIBYL |
I see the future is up at the side of Labour’s leader (5)
|
| IS reversed (up) + BY (at the side of) + first letter (leader) of Labour | ||
| 4 | ATELIER |
Fresh alert concerning one close to free artist’s studio (7)
|
| Anagram (fresh) of ALERT containing (concerning) I (one) + last letter of (close to) freE | ||
| 6 | SOLICITOR |
What the Business Secretary isn’t provided proper gold (9)
|
| SO (provided) + LICIT (proper) + OR (gold)
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is being investigated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority over claims that he misrepresented his status as a solicitor |
||
| 7 | SPAIN |
Wrong to accept dad’s country going to the polls (5)
|
| SIN (wrong) containing (to accept) PA (dad)
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez recently announced a ‘snap’ general election on 29 November |
||
| 8 | PREBENDS |
Church’s offices before crooks (8)
|
| PRE (before) + BENDS (crooks) | ||
| 11 | ANON |
European’s last couple acceptable before long (4)
|
| Last couple (of letters) of europeAN + ON (acceptable) | ||
| 15 | HERETICAL |
Unorthodox present to amuse, we gather (9)
|
| HERE (present) + soundalike (we gather) of “TICKLE” (to amuse) | ||
| 17 | POISONOUS |
Soon pious groups to become offensive (9)
|
| Anagram (groups) of SOON PIOUS | ||
| 18 | TAPESTRY |
Videos, say, evaluate pictured fabric (8)
|
| TAPES (videos, say) + TRY (evaluate)
The Bayeux Tapestry is currently on display at the British Museum |
||
| 20 | DALE |
Dog’s lead and beer — it’s a feature of the countryside (4)
|
| First letter (lead) of Dog + ALE (beer) | ||
| 21 | TUSCANY |
Wine heist area cuts any transfers (7)
|
| Anagram (transfers) of CUTS ANY
A gang of masked robbers stole 30,000 bottles of wine from the Marchesi Antinori winery in Tuscany a couple of weeks ago |
||
| 22 | ASIDES |
The best party’s obiter dicta (6)
|
| A (the best) + SIDE’S (party’s) | ||
| 24 | BRAND |
Label as healthy breakfast supplied by daughter (5)
|
| BRAN (healthy breakfast) + D (daughter) | ||
| 25 | RERUN |
Some conspirer undoubtedly to broadcast once more (5)
|
| Some (of) conspiRER UNdoubtedly |