Across
8 Bring out (= REVEAL) a little red (= RE) meat, controversially (= VEAL).
9 To measure bird population (= WINGSPAN), Galician starts (= G) in northwest (= NW) Spain (= SPAIN).
10 New (= NEW) king (= R) turns out (indicates anagram) to be the smallest of them all, according to local folklore (= WREN, ref. wren as the ‘king of the birds’ in Irish folklore).
11 Edits (= EDITS) short, miscellaneous (= MISC) red tops (=R) around here (indicates anagram) and misleads them (= MISDIRECTS)?
12 Curiously (indicates anagram), lets on (= LETS ON) it was ripped off (= STOLEN).
14 High-flying team (= SQUADRON, & team = SQUAD) lets Ronald (= RON) join at last.
15 From the outset, no chicken will mix with (indicates anagram of ‘outset no chicken’) this interloper (= CUCKOO IN THE NEST).
18 The colic has her (= anagram of ‘COLIC’ and ‘HER’) all irritable (= CHOLERIC).
20 Little insect (= MAYFLY) might (= MAY) do this (i.e. ‘fly’) with a little 24 down (‘lift) and 23 down (‘drag’).
22 Wash-down is (= WASH_DOWN IS) in order (indicates anagram) so we can see through it (= SASH WINDOW).
24 Sings all day (= LARK) for a bit of fun (= LARK).
25 Manoeuvres (indicates anagram) apace (= APACE) in Rio (= RIO, also ref. Brazil) demonstrating martial art (= CAPOEIRA, i.e. Brazilian martial art).
26 Tactless leaf-cutter (remove ‘tact’ from ‘leaf-cutter’ = LEFUER) comes to (indicates anagram) feed again (i.e. ‘refuel’) to replenish energy (= REFUEL).
Down
1 Keep quiet (= SECRET) about (= RE) religious splinter group (= SECT) conversion (indicates anagram).
2 Intrinsically (= hidden word indicator) international life (‘inTERNational life’ for this long-distance flyer (= TERN).
3 Stands on one-leg (= FLAMINGO) in ring (= O) of fire (= FLAMING).
4 A cry of pain (= OW) from leverets outside (= L-S) - they never heard these hunters coming (= OWLS).
5 Remaining in position (= IN SITU), perplexed (indicates anagram) percussionist abandons process (i.e. remove ‘process’ from ‘percussionist’ = UINIST).
6 Dominant bunch (i.e. powerful group = ASCENDANCY) chews up (indicates anagram) candy canes (CANDY CANES).
7 Careful (= CAUTIOUS) or the CIA (= CIA) might expose us (‘expose us’ = OUT US) badly (indicates anagram).
13 In all probability (= LIKELIHOOD), Robin of Loxley (= HOOD) and his ilk (ILK) lie (LIE) outlandishly (indicates anagram).
14 Audibly (= SONIC) lets loose (indicates anagram) in (= IN) old Spanish City, initially (= OSC).
16 Might Paul have got involved in (indicates anagram of ‘Paul have’) overthrowing the regime (= UPHEAVAL)?
17 Perhaps wishing they were bound here (= HOMEWARD, ref. ‘Homeward Bound’ by Simon and Garfunkel) troubles those (indicates anagram) who dream (= WHO DREAM).
19 It’s sweet (= RAISIN) and sounds uplifting (sounds like ‘raising’).
21 It’s a tall order (= TALL ORDER) to pull this lot (remove ‘LOT’ from ‘tall order’ = ALRDER) out (indicates angram) of food storage (= LARDER).
23 Medic (= DR) and top lawyer (= AG) in line to meet Queen, perhaps (= DRAG)?
24 It (= IT) starts floating (= FL) around (indicates anagram) as it rises (= LIFT).