Clues
Across
- 1 Union dividing America - brutal conclusion expected (5)
- 5 Retrogaming platform’s turned traitor, invested in new technology (5)
- 6, 2D Explore possibilities of British weather? (10)
- 7 Parliament abandons church: “fossil!” (5)
Down
- 2 See 6A.
- 3 Refuge in Raleigh sheltering retired action hero (5)
- 4 Crude boomerangs finally thrown at predator (4)
- 5 Swedes and cabbage, essentially (4)
Setter’s notes
Well done if you made it through this one — I suspect it might prove tricky. Either way, I hope you had fun.
Across
- 1 “Union” = U inside “America” = USA, then the conclusion of “brutal” = L — USUAL, “expected”.
- 5 “Traitor” = RAT, turned (TAR) and placed in “new technology” = AI — ATARI.
- 6 & 2 Down “British” = B + “weather” = RAINSTORM — BRAINSTORM.
- 7 “Parliament” = CHAMBER, abandoning “church” = CH — AMBER, which preserves fossils.
Down
- 3 Hidden reversed: “refugE IN RAleigh” — ARNIE, the retired action hero.
- 4 “Crude” = OIL, reversed (“boomerangs”) + the final letter of “thrown” = N — LION.
- 5 Hidden in the essence (middle) of “cABBAge” — ABBA, the Swedes.