Tuesday 26 May

Across

8 Mistake to put ‘male’ after only matching gender observed at birth (8) 10 Emperor having cameo in They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (4) 11 Teacher prepares fruit for markers (10) 12 Dislike of despicable supervillain leads to dangerous game ending (6) 14 Brief stops Romeos taking forever (8) 16 Make provision for poison tentacle tips in a frisky toad (5,2) 18 Brief Encounter at start of quarantine: you said, ‘That’s horrible, that is’ (7) 21 Barking Scot has scraggly beard – even for a poet (8) 23 Source of Russian news takes on the Spanish threads (6) 24 Long shot, but here’s an opportunity to diet (4,6) 26 In suspense? Half excited? Try always turning round (4) 27 Canniness concealing squares (5) 28 These knocked back by Westminster set if drunk (8)

Down

4 Have I got it in me to be ‘nice’? (7) 5 Chooses shady spot (4) 6 Once more assigns blame for space to play on six courts (10) 7 Honest to God, I burn within? (1,5) 15/22/3 Elbowing youth aside, setter’s a hit among 28 (3,6,4,2) 17/1/9/13 Where Angelou and Auden are put on the rack for collection favoured by 28? (3,8,5,10) 19 Reserve at port grew cold (4,4) 20 Windy mansion that makes one go blind? (7) 23 The spies’ line of argument (6) 25 Hong Kong accepts American protection (4) 26/2 ‘Morally flawed protagonist’ for 28 is another I messed up (4-4)