Across:
8 Pussy foot (paw = WAP-) around (= reversal indicator) centre with (centre ‘with’ = -IT-) one (-I) (WAPITI) buck (WAPITI deer /stag),
9 Out (LOOPHOLE) with one of The Kinks (one kink = LOOP-) at opening (-HOLE) (LOOPHOLE),
10 Some Spanish-American (some ‘Spanish-American’ = SHAM) deception (SHAM),
11 What happened (HISTORY) after (= positional indicator) a (A-) retweet (-RT) (ART HISTORY) from painting class? (ART HISTORY)
12 Rome by (Rome by = EMBYRO) train? That’s in the early stage of development! (EMBYRO),
14 Mind – May’s (mind May’s = DYNAMISM) problem (= anagram indicator) is, this is supposed to provide vigorous activity and progress (DYNAMISM),
15 Reputation (STANDING) means nothing (O-) – it’s a sign (victory sign = -V- sign) country (nation) is losing the head (n) (‘nation’ without ‘n’ = -ATION) (STANDING OVATION) with dramatic acclaim (STANDING OVATION)
18 Perils of (perils of = PROFILES) working (= anagram indicator) on biographical articles (PROFILES),
20 Emigrant loses it (‘emigrant’ loses ‘it’ = emgran = GERMAN), in a manner of speaking, in Berlin (GERMAN),
22 Drinks (ROUND of drinks) and buffet (TABLE) (ROUND TABLE) that’ll get you talking (ROUND TABLE),
24 Crash (= anagram indicator) diet (diet = TIDE) – the current trend suggests one has a yo-yo effect (yo-yo effect = TIDE),
25 It’s not cheeky (REVERENT) to have a high opinion of (REVERE-) good books (New Testament = -NT) (REVERENT),
26 The prickly types (THORNS) in North’s (norths = THORNS) Order (= anagram indicator).
Down:
1 Chaos (MAYHEM) after April (MAY-) is stitched up (-HEM) (MAYHEM),
2 Picture (FILM) capital’s falling internal labour market (capitals ‘falling internal labour market’ = FILM),
3 Pasta (RIGATONI) and Eastern European port (RIGA-) is almost (c) restorative (‘tonic’ without ‘c’ = -TONI) (RIGATONI),
4 Scheme (PLOT) to back (= reversal indicator) port (port side/left = -L-) in Cork (top = P-OT) (PLOT),
5 It’s not (NOT-) on (-ON) after (= positional indicator) institute (-I-) (NOTION) gets wrong impression perhaps (NOTION),
6 Casual worker (TEMP-) gets time (-T-) in there (there = THE -ER), roughly (= anagram indicator) (THE TEMPTER), devilishly enticing others (THE TEMPTER),
7 Building (= anagram indicator) for sale (for sale = AL FRES-O) around castle (-C-) (AL FRESCO) outside (AL FRESCO),
13 It’s for the lightweights (RING) to pick out (to FINGER) (RING FINGER) one of those associated with wedding band (RING FINGER),
14 Ruth leaves daughters (‘Ruth’ leaves ‘daughters’ = dages = DEGAS) with impressionable French artist (DEGAS),
16 Bread (TURNOVER) sales (TURNOVER),
17 Brief description (VIGNETTE) of engineer (= anagram indicator) vetting (vetting = VIGN-TTE) Oriental (east = -E-) inside (VIGNETTE),
19 New (= anagram indicator) halter (halter = LATHER) visible on horse after race (LATHER),
21 One of those in The Chair (padding) is scratching the head (p) (‘padding’ without ‘p’ = ADDING) summing up (ADDING),
23 Starts backing up the truck (starts ‘backing up the truck’ = BUTT) taking delivery of wine (BUTT / barrell),
24 Consumed medication, for instance (TOOK), to (TO-) get all right (-OK) (TOOK).