THE CRYPTIC:

ACROSS

1. No image – a fraud! Narcissism! (8) 6. Smarts needed for police tactics (6) 9. Political leader appears in one anal push (7,6) 10. Pay off debts for bench (6) 11. I trade with top Utopian (8) 13. Great idea, Rabin! (10) 15. Wary America on board (4) 16. Amend poor diet (4) 18. Scan noises – could be takeoffs (10) 21. Light running in fat – cruel satires! (8) 22. Take for granted idiot tally with English (6) 23. 9 asks, sex appeal line available? (6,7) 25. Traps for reckless Nasser (6) 26. Number of assorted cardinals? Rubbish! (8)

DOWN

2. Pay rage explodes between school and university (3,4) 3. Summit M (8,3) 4. Smell around individual – a din (5) 5. Orient, a location for an erotic Italian poet (7) 6. American politician? (9) 7. Conditions strong in islands (3) 8. The beginning is over in the units of inheritance (7) 12. Social spent wastefully for a sci-fi soap opera (4,2,5) 14. Ocean shores disturbed by fish (9) 17. Showing no emotion and late – criticise severely! (7) 19. Cold islands bird in reservoir (7) 20. Designations for new Australian dynasties (7) 22. Tree-like writer? (5) 24. Lug decapitated ursine (3)

Solution next week