Across: 6. Family with head of state has a big place in 16 across (8) 8. From the east, revered fellow captivates chamber in hearings (6) 10. Take short cut, but fail to finish brief reading (4) 11. Offering extra understanding if hustling goes wrong (10) 12. Skirting around near disaster, gets on well with these officers (8) 13. Software permits no hint of transparency for these computers (6) 15. It's nasty going to it, and it's rough coming back (3) 16. Country's hazier leader removed, sent off (5) 17. Worry south, abandoning east (3) 18. Sort of officers most deride ... almost none returning! (6) 19. Sat next to popular G.I. hugging popular date after promotion (8) 22. Diplomats from east fail to spot first of dozen signs (10) 24. Left and right wings both go out impeaching everyone (4) 25. Popular beast's back entrance (6) 26. In exams I top English, but going to the west, it's jobs for insiders only (8) Down: 1. Disgusting! On both sides most ran away, having no loyalty (6) 2. Swirling mist a mercy for guerrilla's sort of 15 (10) 3. Two 14 of 16 across, a liberal (briefly) and a king on the rise? (6) 4. Make no progress getting any good new leaders in country (8) 5. Mandate vehicle (4) 7. This may force a change, but fool follows fool in heading country (13) 9. West coast city and university tore senior 3 from east 16 across (7) 14. Leaders from India make an impact in the papers (10) 15. Chopper with overdose in Sultanate (7) 16. Simba leader, having become leader of 16 across (by tangled web), 9 3 sought help here (8) 20. Leaders of junta offered son eminent position ... he being the junior 3 (6) 21. Without hint of hesitation, one deposed exercises state barbarity (6) 23. Convinced head of state past his prime? (4) Solution: =F=A=K===S=F===| KINSHASA=TRIALS| =C=Y=B=S=A=A=A=| SKIM=INSIGHTFUL| =L=M=L=A=N===R=| GENERALS=APPLES| ===T===S=T=R=N=| =WAR=ZAIRE=EAT=| =O=I=I=N===S===| NONCOM=ADJOINED| =D===B=T=O=D=X=| EMISSARIES=EACH| =A=O=B=O=E=N=E=| INFLOW=NEPOTISM| ===D=E===H=S=S=| Name: 886 - Forced Change Author: by BenDR Annos-Across: 6. KIN + S(tate) + HAS A 8. r( LAIR in ST ) 10. SKIM(p) 11. *(IF HUSTLING) 12. *NEAR in GELS 13. APP + LE(t)S 15. rev( RAW ) 16. *(h)AZIER 17. EA(s)T 18. r( MOC(k) NON(e) ) 19. AD + JO(IN)E + D 22. E + MISS + ARIES 24. (imp)EACH(ing) 25. IN + r(WOLF) 26. rev tel (exa)MS I TOP EN(glish)< Annos-Down: 1. ICK in FLE(d) 2. *(MIST A MERCY) 3. rev( A LIB + A K ) 4. ( A G N ) in STATE 5. dd 7. ASS + ASS + I + NATION 9. LA + U + RENT 14. PRES(I DENT)S 15. W + O(OD)MAN 16. Z + (s)IMBA + *WEB 20. arostic 21. *(EX(er)C(i)SES) 23. S + OLD Defs-Across: 6. big place in 16 across 8. hearings 10. brief reading 11. Offering extra understanding 12. officers 13. computers 15. It's nasty going to it 16. Country 17. Worry 18. Sort of officers 19. Sat next to 22. Diplomats 24. everyone 25. entrance 26. jobs for insiders only Defs-Down: 1. having no loyalty 2. guerrilla's sort of 15 3. Two 14 of 16 across 4. Make no progress 5. vehicle 5. Mandate 7. This may force a change 9. senior 3 from east 16 across 14. Leaders 15. Chopper 16. 9 3 sought help here 20. the junior 3 21. state barbarity 23. Convinced