FACTFINDER’S CROSSWORD

Dear Reader,

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic we are suspending competition entries for all our prize crosswords.

Puzzles will continue to appear as normal but no entries will be accepted or prizes given.

We hope to return to normal as soon as possible.

The solution to this week’s Factfinder crossword will appear next Saturday as usual. Stay safe!

Joy Yates, Editorial Director

ACROSS

3 Historic county town ( pop about 9,000), a former royal burgh ( 5)

8 A self- contained unit forming part of a spacecraft ( 6)

9 The ancient Egyptian god of the dead ( 6) 10 Country in Central America ( 29,199 sq miles; pop about 4 million), independent since 1903 ( 6)

11 The universal solvent of the alchemists ( 8) 12 A pouch ( biol) ( 3)

13 Wolfgang Amadeus __ ( 1756 - 91), Salzburg- born composer ( 6)

14 Fly an aircraft close to the ground ( coll)

( 5- 3)

17 A ship’s kitchen ( 7)

19 George __ ( 1931 - 2003), Stirling- born politician who was Scottish Secretary ( 1979 - 86) ( 7)

23 A grand Moorish palace in Andalusia ( 8)

27 A gigantic fish akin to the herring ( 6)

26 A sign of the zodiac ( 3)

30 Rudimentary or not fully developed ( 8)

31 Gustav __ ( 1860 - 1911), Bohemian- born composer ( 6)

32 A narrow lane, or passage- way ( 6) 33 A grappling hold in wrestling ( 6)

34 Small islands in a river ( 5) DOWN 1 A hot south- east wind in Spain ( 6)

2 Large city in Zimbabwe ( pop about 650,000), founded around 1830 ( 8) 3 The north African horned viper ( 8)

4 A tuft or plume of feathers on a helmet, etc ( 7)

5 Rank in smell or taste ( 6)

6 An American card game ( 6) 7 A papilionaceous Indian tree ( 6)

13 A type of soft leather used for making gloves ( 5)

15 A large African antelope ( 3)

16 Juan __ ( 1895 - 1974), Argentine general and politician, elected President three times ( 5)

18 The SI unit of electrical resistance ( 3) 20 Low, stuffed seats without backs ( 8) 21 Blissful states in Buddhism ( 8) 22 Regional capital in southern Italy ( pop about 650,000), founded in 734 BC ( 7) 24 A kind of falcon ( 6)

25 Capital city in southern Europe, ( pop 685,000), host of the Olympic Games in 2004 ( 6)

26 A mace- bearer or church officer ( 6) 28 US state ( 251,806; pop about 4.2 million), nicknamed the Beaver State ( 6).