Across
1
Just switching direction at the end for launch (6)
5
German arranged a locum to attend a sight problem (8)
9
Picasso almost drowned in white, that’s obvious (8)
10
Ancient Italian, one featured in Ibsen play (6)
11
Camilla’s rock band study class (5,7)
13
Said posh person’s off fish? (4)
14
Artillery alternative: nitrogen-filled ball (8)
17
Ignorant state sends tanks to capture vessel (8)
18
Amalgamate a new Spice Girl? (4)
20
Maybe Latin’s not quite Lady Gaga dancing with nude at back of stage (4,8)
23
Rather fusty senior gathering yarn (6)
24
Casual underwear comes to brickie’s aid (8)
25
Pleased about welcoming international stars (8)
26
Ridicule eastern half of banana republic (6)
Down
2
Upended indigenous people failing to finish walkabout (4)
3
Nobody wants a Dickens protagonist to act like a mouse (9)
4
Raver heading off clumsy person (6)
5
Climate threat calls for fresh Commons talks? (10,5)
6
Skips CBS and so suffers (8)
7
Small bag – in public, a basket (5)
8
Clarions used in Middle East’s musical mode (5,5)
12
Showy celebrity joining preservation body gets spoken about (10)
15
Casually object: ‘short of library – extremely’ (9)
16
Excluded, deprived of drinking venue? (8)
19
Preparing to burgle housing (6)
21
City in which Handel hid, eschewing all-round applause (5)
22
Tree with lost horse (4)