Across:
8 Sister (NUN-) checks it out for leader’s (‘Checks It Out’ for leaders = -CIO) (NUNCIO) ambassador (NUNCIO),
9 American (HONDURAN) on hand (on hand) working (= anagram indicator) (on hand = HOND-AN) around old city (-UR-) (HONDURAN),
10 Note (MEMO) turned up (= reversal indicator) concealed by welcome mat (concealed by ‘welcOME Mat’ = omem = MEMO),
11 Things are looking up (there’s an END IN SIGHT) – that’s the conclusion (END) from Bar (inn) Report (= homophone indicator) (‘inn’ = ‘in’ = IN) on tourist attraction (SIGHT) (END IN SIGHT),
12 Colourful type (RUSSET) from USSR (USSR) shot (= anagram indicator) (USSR = RUSS-) by alien (-ET) (RUSSET),
14 Toddies (hot shots = HOTSHOTS) produced by warm (HOT-), smashing (= anagram indicator) hosts (hosts = -SHOTS) (HOTSHOTS),
15 Juice (PRESS) from a type of pear (CONFERENCE pear) (PRESS CONFERENCE) attracts media attention (PRESS CONFERENCE),
18 Difficult choices (DILEMMAS) in tight spots (DILEMMAS),
20 Passed on (LATE-) good books (New Testament = -NT) (LATENT) not yet visible (LATENT),
22 Nico in (nico in) play (= anagram indicator) (nico in = IN-ONIC) about mischief (-HARM-) (INHARMONIC) – it’s not The Sound of Music? (INHARMONIC),
24 Acts up without us (‘acts up’ without ‘us’ = actp = PACT) in agreement (PACT),
25 It’s revealed (-OUT) after (= position indicator) strike (KNOCK-) (KNOCKOUT) – it’s the final blow (KNOCKOUT),
26 Spends a lot of time in deli (deli) speaking (= homophone indicator) (spends a lot of time in ‘deli’ = ‘Delhi’ = INDIAN) to dishy type (dishy type = INDIAN meal).
Down:
1 Foreign Office (BUREAU) in Davenport (davenport/writing desk = BUREAU),
2 Lures away from lecherous (‘lures’ away from ‘lecherous’ = echo = ECHO) type of feedback (ECHO),
3 Trim (n) gangster (‘don’ without ‘n’ = DO-) with extreme problem (with extreme ‘probleM’ = -M-) cites (cites) convoluted (= anagram indicator) (cites = -ESTIC) (DOMESTIC) family row (DOMESTIC),
4 Get rid of (SHED) shareholder-owned banks (‘SHareholder-ownED’ banks = SHED),
5 You (U-) find note (-N-): “Get Granny, for one (Granny -KNOT) (UNKNOT), to loosen the purse strings”? (UNKNOT),
6 Ground (ground = PUNISH-) workers (-MEN-) get time (-T) (PUNISHMENT) as a retribution for indiscipline (PUNISHMENT),
7 Pitiful (PATHETIC) Irishman (PAT-) with work (= anagram indicator) ethic (ethic = -HETIC) (PATHETIC),
13 Tuscan seen (Tuscan seen) preparing (= anagram indicator) (Tuscan seen = SUSTENANCE) food and drink (SUSTENANCE),
14 More than one of them in 3 down similarly (more than one ‘domestic’/workers = HANDS) working around the clock? (HANDS),
16 What’s the main man in The Palace doing (REIGNING) with ginger in (ginger in) brew? (= anagram indicator) (ginger in = REIGNING),
17 Catholic (catholic/diverse = ECLECTIC) comprehensive? (ECLECTIC),
19 Wealthy, evil type (MAMMON) of military leader (‘Military’ leader = M-) with bullets (-AMMO-) at The Point (compass point North = -N) (MAMMON),
21 Reconnect a refrigerator inside (‘reconNECT A Refrigerator’ inside = NECTAR) for the honey producers to collect (NECTAR),
23 Goes around St Swithun (goes around ‘ST SwithUN’ = stun) retreat (= reverse indicator) (stun = NUTS) for hard cases (NUTS),
24 Seed holders (PODS) lying around potting sheds (lying around ‘POtting sheDS’ = PODS).