CROSSWORD

No. 3,468

ACROSS

1 Payment for a rising artist (6) 4 Went ahead and made a loan (8) 9 Be sorry for sounding like an angry dog to one lady (6) 10 Tom telephones expressing disapproval (8) 12 New calculating rules for mathematicians (8) 13 Irregular forces decoration (6) 15 He’s very stupid to continue (4) 16 Impressive result of adding hundreds of dollars? (5,5) 19 Union negotiator (10) 20 Article about a piece of land (4) 23 Almost ready to include me in the cure (6) 25 A star of the printed word (8) 27 Way in for transport (8) 28 Grubby residence (6) 29 Sadly, they lack an opener (8) 30 It’s built as an ocean container (6)

DOWN

1 Tackle some vote-manipulating (7) 2 Wait outside Ascot for a change of clothing (9) 3 Plunder and desecrate a grave (6) 5 Pullupward (4) 6 A copper-lined box produced with precision (8) 7 Groups of agents in prison (5) 8 Plunder piled so haphazardly (7) 11 Good route for a long-distance driver (7) 14 Smoke and produce an angry reaction (7) 17 Area in which great fear holds it over your head (9) 18 One Nebuchadnezzar ired settled for hard cash (8) 19 Something to astound Pound or another poet (7) 21 Question one about a point that’s not straightforward (7) 22 Swallow or dove circling over ancient city (6) 24 Musical composition from more remote times (5) 26 One outside hospital may need treatment (4)