No 2749, Sunday 28 Jul 2013

ACROSS
1   Lead astray a group of apprentices (6) ENTICE [T]
4   Astuteness shown by a copper confronting workers (6) ACUMEN {A}{CU}{MEN}
8   US state capital, a leader in trade pact (9) CONCORDAT {CONCORD}{A}{T}
11 A quarrel about right marker (5) ARROW {A}{R{R}OW}
12 Jam in cupboard (5) PRESS [DD]
13 Inspirational winning fling? It could be (9) UPLIFTING {UP}{FLING+IT}*
14 In which Olympic medals may be won, whatever happens? (2,3,6) AT ALL EVENTS [DD]
16 First-hand account of life behind bars? (6,5) INSIDE STORY [CD]
19 Second in command, without feeling, wrote cruelly (6,3) NUMBER TWO {NUMB}{ER TWO*}
21 Picture that is put in supplement? Just the opposite (5) IMAGE {I{MAG}E} opp of IE in MAG
23 Priest may be caught out soon (5) CANON {C}{ANON}
24 Mix up inn and cheap cafe (4,5) HASH HOUSE {HASH} {HOUSE}
25 Conservationists, aboard mystery tour, set about a task (4,2) TURN TO {TUR{N T}O*}
26 Shelter made from loose stones, indefinite number (6) SCREEN {SCREE}{N}

DOWN
1   Flee European scene (6) ESCAPE {E}{SCAPE}
2   Not relaxed in past, say (5) TENSE [DD]
3   Brass score incompletely orchestrated in parts of cycles (9) CROSSBARS {BRASS+SCORe}*

5   Tease husband inside snack bar (5) CHAFF {C{H}AFF}
6   Singer-songwriter is merry, and so sad (9) MORRISSEY {IS+MERRY+SO}*
7   Recently developed mature philosophy (3,3)  NEW AGE {NEW} {AGE}
9   Gibberish from one's wife after large drink (6,5) DOUBLE DUTCH {DOUBLE} {DUTCH}
10 Novelist is wrong about English sets (11) TELEVISIONS {TEL{E}VISION*}
14 Historical land in area is Roman, I suspect (4,5) ASIA MINOR {A+IS+ROMAN+I}*

15 One hilt, I fancy, comes initially from Skara Brae? (9) NEOLITHIC {ONE+HILT+I}*{C}
17 Tracked vehicle kept in grounds - no Caterpillar (3-3) SNO-CAT [T]

18 Mostly dangerous northern river (6) SEVERN {SEVERe}{N}
20 German artist, long ago, small number collected (5) ERNST {ER{N}ST}
22 Entertain a goddess (5) AMUSE {A}{MUSE}