General Knowledge Crossword

ACROSS

7. ‘--- 13’, 1995 film with Tom Hanks (6)

8. Card game for four based on whist (6)

10. Ancient language of the Middle East still spoken in parts of Syria and the Lebanon (7)

11 & 15D ‘The ---’, 1860 novel by Wilkie Collins (5,2,5)

12. Ben, character in Treasure Island (4)

13. Very hard colourless element used in hardening steel (5)

17. Unreactive element of the rare gas series used in electric lights (5)

18 & 20D Jewish diarist who died in Belsen in 1945 (4,5)

22. In the Old Testament, brother of Moses and high priest of the Israelites (5)

23. 1819 novel by Walter Scott (7)

24. Country in North America; member of the Commonwealth (6)

25. Lennon, Harrison, Starr or McCartney, for example (6)

DOWN

1. Fascist movement founded in Spain in 1933 (7)

2. Addictive narcotic drug derived from coca leaves (7)

3. Mr Berg, composer of the opera Wozzeck (5)

4. 1872 novel by Samuel Butler (7)

5. Richard, author of Watership Down (5)

6. Plant of the genus Paeonia with large pink, red, white or yellow flowers (5)

9. Citadel of Athens on which the Parthenon stands (9)

14. Former kingdom of S Spain in Andalusia (7)

15. See 11 Across

16. Biblical character, wife of Ahab (7)

19. French city, capital of the Dukes of Lorraine in the 12th century (5)

20. See 18 Across

21. Underworld abode of the souls of the dead in Greek mythology (5)