Across:
8 Back off (k) prior (prior/abbot = ‘monk’ without ‘k’ = MON-) to officer (Commanding Officer = -CO) following (= position indicator) a (-A-) (MONACO) French neighbour (MONACO),
9 Oriental (East = E-) provides wrong (-X-) answer (-A-) in moral (moral) exercise (= anagram indicator) (moral = ORAL -M) (ORAL EXAM) putting Chinese to the test (ORAL EXAM),
10 Revolutionary (= reverse indicator) characters in I Claudius (characters in ‘i cLAUDius’ = laud = DUAL) with two parts? (DUAL),
11 Orange (FRUIT) marches end (‘marcheS’ end = S-) for a (-A-) young man (-LAD) (FRUIT SALAD) with local medals and ribbons? (local/slang military display of medals and ribbons = FRUIT SALAD),
12 It’s art (its art) broadcasted (= anagram indicator) (its art = STRAIT) by channel (channel/passage = STRAIT),
14 Dark grey (CHARCOAL) church (CH-) with religious type (Roman Catholic = -RC-) of Anabaptist leaders (‘Of Anabaptist’ leaders = -OA-) in Alabama (AL = -A-L) (CHARCOAL),
15 For those calling home in Europe and America (DUAL CITIZENSHIP), 10 across (‘dual’ = DUAL) has status in the country (CITIZENSHIP) (DUAL CITIZENSHIP)
18 Turns up (= reverse indicator), Father (Rev = -VER) O’ (-O-) Hara, is the first (‘Hara’ the first = -H-) to dine (sup = PUS-) (PUSHOVER) with one putting up little resistance (PUSHOVER),
20 Guard (ENSURE), engineer (E-), nurse (nurse), butcher? (= anagram indicator) (nurse = -NSURE) (ENSURE),
22 A nice troll? (a nice troll) Absurd (= anagram indicator) (a nice troll = CITRONELLA) – that stinks and is repellent! (CITRONELLA),
24 Leave port (SAIL) served up = (reverse indicator) around Little Christmas (around ‘LIttle christmAS’ = lias = SAIL),
25 Snug tent (snug tent) sporting (= anagram indicator) (snug tent = TUNGSTEN) very hard material (TUNGSTEN),
26 Friend of dancer (reindeer DASHER friend of reindeer Dancer) is a fast mover (DASHER).
Down:
1 One of those off course (LO-ST) around college (-C-) and university (-U-) (LOCUST) is a concern to those studying entomology (LOCUST),
2 Concealed by political leader (concealed by ‘politiCAL Leader’ = CALL) from Ring (CALL),
3 The Paper covering the match (wedding CONFETTI) is thrown by those United supporters? (CONFETTI),
4 A meat substitute (TOFU) discovered in potato fungus (discovered in ‘potaTO FUngus’ = TOFU),
5 You hear this again and again (MANTRA) – no pets in apartments (no ‘pets’ in ‘apartments’ = aartmn = MANTRA),
6 What you might pay for a good pair of briefs (LEGAL COSTS) you could part with for a suit? (LEGAL COSTS),
7 Reviews (= reverse indicator) cool (in = -NI) piece (arm = M-RA-) about AHA (-AHA-) (MAHARANI) and Queen in the east (MAHARANI),
13 Every ounce of anger (ALL THE RAGE) in Vogue (in vogue = ALL THE RAGE),
14 Heartless communicator (heartless ‘CommunicatoR’ = CR-) that is (i.e. = -IE-) writing (from the 3Rs = -R) (CRIER) for old broadcaster (Town CRIER),
16 Takes a lot of interest (lending at high/extortionate interest rates = USURIOUS) in you and me (us) on both sides (us + us = US-US) of youth centre (‘yoUth’ centre = -U-) closing off (t) riot (‘riot’ without ‘t’ = -RIO-) (USURIOUS),
17 Criminal (= anagram indicator) leaders (leaders = E-ERALDS) seizing one thousand (Roman 1,000 = -M-) (EMERALDS) green gems (EMERALDS),
19 Narcissism (VANITY) of one (-I-) from the capital (‘The’ capital = -T-) in navy (navy) dress (= anagram indicator) (navy = VAN-Y) (VANITY),
21 What the force did as a surprise (RAIDED) to remove spice from rice paddies (remove ‘spice’ from ‘rice paddies’ = riadde = RAIDED),
23 Living life in the fast lane at the opening and closing (‘LIving life in the fast laNE’ at the opening and closing = LINE) of bar (LINE),
24 Salt marsh banks (‘SAlt marSH’ banks = SASH) seen from the window (SASH window).