The NI Crossword
No. 37 by Axe

CRYPTIC

Across
 1     Animal’s put down after number returned (8)
 6     Indian poesy anthology (5)
10    A Jewish leader omitted British Christian – good chap – for a Middle East specialist (7)
11    Latin-type Quixote, for example, discards shirt (7)
12,20 Avoid urban area in Kansas (5,4)
13    Roar around South Sea Island, discovering one of the Cook’s! (9)
14    I’m mixed up in the never-ending Angola problem, having love for the country (8)
16    Russian city swamped by salutes when in recession (4)
20    See 12
21    Family takes South African around the city (8)
24    Dig, so to speak, the dirt in Ohio or the North-east of England... (9)
25    ...mine tantalum, get little bread (5)
27    Studying in the South of England or Pennsylvania... (7)
28    ...boy’s entered a Master of Arts here... (7)
29    ...a little Asian citizen who’s originally caught between states (5)
30    Risorgimento fighter fatally dithers when around the South capturing king (3,5)

Down
 2    Cunningly daub one in ancient Mesopotamian (5)
 3    Which of the French take tea, reportedly – from poor Breton resort? (8)
 4    Jerk’s got chest inside with gold to the top, showing off self-sufficiency (8)
 5    He takes in cheerleader’s garb, raising African capital (6)
 6    Eastern paper retrospective describing both the Arab and the Jew (6)
 7    Write in style of Saul, bound by maritime influences? (9)
 8    Ugh! No end to accountant’s growth in Mexico! (5)
 9    Medic struggling under the power of widespread infection (8)
15    Paris feature’s not about Margot Fonteyn? (5-4)
17    Old Syrian 6 getting a degree in a near discipline (8)
18    Idle talk over protection for Caribbean islands (8)
19    Rent variable – shop around below a line on the map (8)
22    Sign the Sixties’ fashion, for instance, is back on top (6)
23    Alternative to pound starting in Wales and Northern Ireland (6)
24    Company incorporates ancient city and papal court (5)
26    Tester of Mosel? (5)

QUICK

Across
 1    Aquatic vole-like animal of North America (8)
 6     Indian soldier or police officer at the time of the Raj (5)
10    Expert in, or supporter of, Islam, for example (7)
11    Of Latin origin (7)
12,20 ‘Cowboy Capital’ at a rail head on the Santa Fe Trail (5,4)
13    Principal of the Cook Islands, home to the capital, Avarua (9)
14    Vast, empty Asian state, over 1.5m sq km in area (8)
16    Ancient Toltec capital in Mexico and a Russian city south of Moscow (4)
20    See 12
21    Capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (8)
24    Major US city and former English administrative county (9)
25    Slightly leavened bread of the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean (5)
27    English university town famous for its jail where Oscar Wilde was incarcerated (7)
28    Landmass whose name is attributed to the Italian explorer Vespucci (7)
29    Diminutive form of Azerbaijani (5)
30    Supporter of Garibaldi (3,5)

Down
 2    Mesolithic culture of Mesopotamia, c 5000 BC, centred near Ur (5)
 3    Fishing port, resort and 7 of Southern Brittany (8)
 4    State of self-sufficiency with no international trade (8)
 5    Capital of Zimbabwe, formerly Salisbury (6)
 6    People and language descended from Noah’s son, Shem (6)
 7    Yucatan and Baja California are examples of this (9)
 8    Sturdy houseplant originating in Mexico (5)
 9    Covering a whole people, often used in connection with disease (8)
15    Gothic cathedral dedicated to the Virgin: building commenced 1163 (5-4)
17    Relating to an ancient people and language roughly equating to modern Syria (8)
18    Island chain, the southern end of the Lesser Antilles (8)
19    Line on a map or graph connecting similar climatic phenomena (8)
22    Constellation and a sign of the Zodiac (6)
23    Major coastal town of Maine (6)
24    Court of the papal see (5)
26    City of western Germany with Roman ruins (5)

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