A grid representing cold-war Europe and an impressive debut, in our pick of the cryptics
As each day begins, we approach the news with caution, unsure whether we will learn that the US and Russia are at war, or that their leaders have formalised some kind of kleptocratic pact.
17ac Girl’s or French man’sclothes (5)
[ a UK female name + S, or a French male name + S ]
7d Very large revolutionary claim is constructed— by this theory? (9)
[ abbrev. for ‘outsize’ (‘very large’), spelled backwards (‘revolutionary’), then anagram (‘constructed’) of CLAIM IS ]
[ OS backwards, then CIALISM ]
23ac Left with an old lengthof cord (7)
[ abbrev. for ‘left’ + AN (‘an’) + old unit of length ]
[ L + AN + YARD ]
18d He married in record time– these things never last! (8)
[ HE + abbrev. for ‘married’, both inside abbrev. for an extended-play ‘record’ + synonym for ‘time’ ]
[ HE + M, both inside EP + ERA ]