Across
8 Outside letters (after eviscerating - removing insides) of CrusH YouR OppositioN = Chyron = graphics below 24 hour news bulletins
9 Inter (Italian team) + lop (cut) reversed (back) = Interpol
10 Intial letters (start) of Cut Rations Eight Ways = crew = sailors
11 Anagram (distributed) of “Nigeria had” = hearing aid
12 Lad (yoing man) + Ida (girl) = La Di Da = pretentious
14 Let in (admitted) following Bull (nonsense) losing final l (cut short)
15 Fat of the land = nation’s obese people; the elite are said to live off (exploit) the fat of the land
18 Anagram (unusual) of “scale for” = al fresco = outside location
20 Tar (sailor) + tan (effect of sun) = tartan = material
22 Finer (more subtle) containing anagram (outrageous) of “try on” = forty niner = old Californain gold rush prospector
24 Join the dots = get to understand what’s happening
25 Don (academic) in heist (robbery) = hedonist; one doing things for pleasure
26 Covert = secret; hidden and reversed in shorT REVOCation
Down
1 Sherpa (guide) is part (piece) of playS HER PArty
2 If you are reluctant to accept (swallow something) it might stick in your craw; c is the centre letter of artiChoke + raw (unprepared) = craw
3 He wearing (clothing) intact (full) = in the act = doing it
4 Avid (keen) reversed (rising) = diva, a female singer opposite a divo (24 down)
5 A + twill (material) = at will = whenever
6 Drug (speed) + dealer (merchant); one who’s merchandise creates a rush
7 Do (party) + minion (lackey) = dominion = control (as in haveing dominion over)
13 R (run) inside In (hot as in popular/fashionable) + faction (ring) = a blockage which can damage tissue e.g. in the heart
14 Bio (short for biography i.e. someones’ life story) around FF (quite loud musically) = Biffo the Bear who featured in the Beano
16 Double definition
17 To pull a rabbit from a hat = a trick; a hat trick is something done three times
19 Sunlit = bright; becomes unlit when s (son) leaves
21 Anagram (frantically) of “cast” around or (for missing f female) = actors = performers
23 In the Nato alphabet Mike is M and Oscar is O
24 Ovid (old poet) reversed (recoil) = Divo = a male opera singer