Wordle players faced puzzle number 1,924 on Friday, a five-letter word tied to a small patch of woodland that multiple puzzle trackers flagged as noticeably tougher than the rest of the week’s answers, with several outlets warning solvers to expect a harder-than-usual challenge.

For those still working through the puzzle, several hints circulated Friday to help point solvers toward the answer without giving it away outright. The word refers to a small group of trees growing closely together, the kind of small, distinct patch of woodland someone might come across in a rural or wooded area, often used specifically when describing a compact stand of trees rather than a full forest. Structurally, the word contains two vowels and no repeated letters, and begins with the letter C.

SPOILER WARNING: Today’s Wordle answer follows below. Stop reading now if you’d rather solve the puzzle without assistance.

The answer to Wordle #1,924 for September 25 is COPSE, a somewhat less common English word describing a small cluster or thicket of trees, distinct from the more familiar words “forest” or “woods” in referring specifically to a compact, contained group of trees rather than a larger wooded expanse.

Multiple puzzle guides covering Friday’s word explicitly described it as more difficult than the rest of this week’s Wordle answers, a departure from the more common, everyday vocabulary that had defined several of the puzzle’s recent solutions. Because “copse” is a less frequently used word in everyday conversation compared with more common five-letter options, several outlets suggested solvers who were unfamiliar with the term likely needed to lean more heavily on the process of elimination, working through possible letter combinations systematically rather than recognizing the word immediately from the clues alone.

Strategy guides accompanying Friday’s puzzle recommended starting with strong, letter-diverse opening guesses to maximize the information gathered early, given the word’s relative obscurity compared with typical Wordle solutions. Guides also noted that Friday’s puzzle contained no repeated letters and two vowels, details intended to help narrow down the field of possible answers once solvers had confirmed a few correct letters through their opening guesses.

Wordle, created by software engineer Josh Wardle in 2021 before being acquired by The New York Times, has run as a fixed sequence of daily words since its launch, with puzzle number 1 having been the word “cigar.” The game continues to release a new five-letter target word to players worldwide at midnight local time each day, giving solvers six total guesses to identify the correct word. The game’s familiar color-coded feedback system, green for a letter in the correct position, yellow for a correct letter placed in the wrong spot, and gray for a letter absent from the word entirely, continues to guide players toward the solution with each subsequent attempt.

According to data from The New York Times’ companion analytical tool, Wordlebot, Friday’s puzzle can be evaluated based on both the average number of guesses players needed to solve it and separate luck and skill scores that measure how effectively players narrowed down possible solutions with each guess. Those scores, generated after each day’s puzzle based on aggregated player data, offer solvers a way to compare their own performance against the broader player base for that specific day’s word.

Puzzle number 1,924 followed Thursday’s answer, MESSY, continuing a run of daily words that trackers use to help players identify broader patterns in how frequently the game’s word selection alternates between common, high-frequency vocabulary and more specific or unusual terms like Friday’s answer. Players tracking their personal statistics through Wordle’s built-in results screen, or through Wordlebot itself, can compare how efficiently they solved Friday’s puzzle relative to the broader player base and their own historical performance on similarly difficult words.

For solvers looking for an added challenge, Wordle continues to offer a “Hard Mode” setting, which requires players to reuse any previously revealed correct or partially correct letters in all subsequent guesses, removing the option to test entirely new, unrelated letter combinations once useful information has already been uncovered. That setting can be toggled from the game’s settings menu before starting a new puzzle each day.

With Friday’s word now revealed, players who came up short on the day’s puzzle, particularly given its higher-than-usual difficulty, or those simply looking to extend an active streak, will have a fresh five-letter word and a new set of six guesses to work with when Saturday’s edition of Wordle resets at midnight local time.

By Kirsten Chang

The yield on the 10-year note finished September 25, 2026 at 5.17%, while the 2-year note ended at 4.81%. The chart below overlays the daily performance of several Treasury bonds, starting from the pre-recession equity

UKSE has take an equity stake in Cardiff Canning t osupports its expansion

A Cardiff firm is poised to double output after securing an equity investment from UKSE.

Cardiff Canning has installed a second production line allowing it to make 35 million cans a year for the UK ready to drink (RTD) market, helping drinks brands develop and grow their products.

UKSE, a subsidiary of Tata Steel, is working closely with company to fulfil the business plan which forecasts turnover rising by 50% in 2026. In three years , the prediction is that the workforce will increase by seven to 30 with an emphasis on training and upskilling in a more automated workspace.

To accommodate the £400,000 new canning line, the firm has moved into the adjacent unit at Freemans Park doubling its footprint, gaining valuable storage space and improving efficiency.

Cardiff Canning helps drinks brands, large and small, develop and manufacture through canning, blending, product development and storage.

The family business is optimistic about the future. Its managing director, Paul Miller, said“We are very pleased to be working with UKSE in what we are sure will be a long and fruitful relationship.

“Choosing the right manufacturer is the most important decision a drinks company can make. We have all the facilities and knowledge to help them bring their ideas to market, and we pride ourselves on our hands on approach putting customer relations first,” he said.

UKSE area manager in Wales Michelle Noble said; “The firm has a clear focus and strong ethos with quality and customer relationships at its heart.

“More space and increased automation will enable the firm to move to the next level and draw in new customers. The potential for growth is considerable and our new partnership comes at a crucial stage and I am confident UKSE, with our experience in equity investment, can play a vital role.”

UKSE can make invest equity investments in firms of up to £1m. Ms Noble said “Many businesses in Wales would benefit from a capital injection in the form of equity from a flexible and patient partner, who is there to support rather than control the business. We back management teams to deliver their own business plans and are very happy to discuss how we can support them at any time.

UKSE has been operating in Wales for 50 years.

The IRS launched a new mobile app that will let taxpayers check refund statuses and make payments directly from their phones, expanding the agency’s digital services as it works to combat fraud and protect taxpayer information.

IRS CEO Frank Bisignano joined FOX Business’ Stuart Varney on “Varney & Co.” to discuss the app’s security, growing demand for online services and the agency’s efforts to combat identity theft.

The IRS is rolling out a new mobile app designed to let taxpayers securely check their refund status and make payments directly from their smartphones. (Getty Images)

“100%, 100% secure,” Bisignano said of the new app, which will allow taxpayers to complete tasks on their phones rather than redirecting them from an older app to the IRS website.

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The rollout comes as more taxpayers turn to the agency’s online tools. Bisignano said the IRS handled 600 million online inquiries last year, roughly double the previous year’s volume. The new app is intended to make the process more convenient, combining refund tracking and payments into one mobile experience.

As taxpayers increasingly manage sensitive financial information on their devices, security will be central to the agency’s digital push. Bisignano said the IRS will rely on ongoing cybersecurity monitoring to guard its systems.

“It’s important for us to always patrol the perimeter and surveil the interior, and we’ll use agents to do that to ensure we’re in good shape,” he said.

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The agency is also working through a backlog of identity theft cases. Bisignano pointed to an inspector general’s report covering 2023 to 2025 and said the relevant inventory peaked at about half a million items in 2024. He said that figure has since been cut by more than half and processing times have improved.

While the IRS is using artificial intelligence elsewhere in its operations, Bisignano said it is not being used to reduce that particular backlog. He described the agency’s broader mission as improving service while preventing fraud.

“We’re just gonna make it better every day,” he said, adding that the IRS is “completely focused on eliminating fraud.”

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SINGAPORE — Leylah Fernandez pulled off a major upset Friday night, defeating Russian top seed Mirra Andreeva 6-2, 7-5 to reach the semifinals of the Singapore Open, crediting the crowd’s support for helping carry her through the match’s tougher stretches.

The Canadian world No. 31, who has Filipino roots through her mother’s side of the family, advanced to her first tour-level semifinal of the season with the win. She will next face French Open runner-up Maja Chwalinska on Saturday. Fernandez entered the WTA 500 event as a wild card and now holds a 3-2 head-to-head advantage over Andreeva, having also eliminated the Russian in the third round of last month’s Canadian Open in Toronto.

Despite the early exit of Filipino star Alex Eala earlier in the tournament, Center Court remained packed for Fernandez’s match, with fans continuing to rally behind her throughout the evening. Fernandez, whose maternal grandfather is from Ilocos Norte and whose maternal grandmother hails from Leyte, said the crowd’s energy played a direct role in helping her get through difficult moments during the match. “Of course, that helped me tremendously during those tough moments, those moments where I was making mistakes,” Fernandez said. “I just kept hearing everyone cheering me on and screaming my name, and it just gives me that enjoyment, that motivation to keep going, and of course my motivation, my goal is to always put on a good show for all the fans here.”

The match itself was not without late drama. The 24-year-old Fernandez had built a 5-3 lead in the second set before Andreeva mounted a late fightback, narrowing the gap before Fernandez ultimately closed out the 7-5 set to seal the win. Andreeva, the reigning French Open champion and world No. 5, showed her frustration during the match, throwing her racket at one point as Fernandez continued to press her advantage.

Andreeva’s elimination came just a day after third-seeded Eala was upset in the round of 16 by unseeded Russian player Tatiana Prozorova on Thursday night. Prozorova, ranked 180th, advanced to the semifinals after ousting China’s Wang Xinyu in three sets, continuing a tournament that has already produced multiple significant upsets among the higher-seeded players in the draw.

With Andreeva’s exit, Maja Chwalinska, Fernandez’s semifinal opponent, is now the highest-ranked player remaining in the tournament. Chwalinska reached the semifinals by sweeping fourth-seeded and defending champion Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-2 earlier in the day, a dominant performance that positions her as a significant test for Fernandez heading into Saturday’s match.

The tournament’s other semifinal spot remains undecided, with seventh-seeded Greek player and former world No. 3 Maria Sakkari set to face Australian Talia Gibson for the final berth in the draw.

Fernandez’s run in Singapore continues a season in which the 2021 US Open finalist has looked to rebuild momentum on tour, with Friday’s win over a top-five player marking one of her most significant results of the year. Her connection to the Philippines, through her maternal grandparents, has continued to generate strong local support during her appearances in the region, a dynamic reflected clearly in the crowd reaction that greeted her performance against Andreeva on Friday night.

Fernandez’s semifinal matchup against Chwalinska on Saturday will pit two players in strong current form against one another, with Chwalinska carrying momentum from her decisive win over the tournament’s defending champion into the match. For Fernandez, advancing past a Saturday semifinal would put her into her first tour-level final of the season, continuing what has already become one of her more notable tournament runs in recent months.

The Singapore Open has produced a series of unexpected results throughout the week, with the elimination of both Eala in the third round and Andreeva in the quarterfinals reshaping what had initially appeared to be a more predictable path toward the tournament’s final rounds. With Chwalinska now standing as the highest remaining seed in the draw, and Fernandez continuing to draw strong crowd support behind her, the tournament’s final weekend is shaping up to feature a field considerably different from what may have been anticipated when the draw was first announced.

With her semifinal against Chwalinska set for Saturday, Fernandez will look to build on Friday’s victory and the sustained crowd support that helped carry her through a tightly contested second set against one of the tour’s top-ranked players.

The S&P 500 gained 37.96 points, or 0.49%, to end at 7,742.09 points, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 125.51 points, or 0.47%, to 27,064.88. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 469.07 points, or 0.91%, to 51,819.05.

Gains in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq capped a volatile week driven by uncertainty about what industries will win and lose from artificial intelligence, and by concerns about the US war with Iran and a surge in US Treasury yields.

Microsoft rallied after the software giant unveiled several new capabilities in its Copilot app, including a coding tool and an always-on AI agent.

Akamai Technologies surged after an $11.6 billion cloud services deal with AI leader Anthropic. The deal includes a warrant that could give Anthropic up to 5% of Akamai.

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“That’s a positive from the standpoint that people are still investing, deals are still being done,” said Thomas Martin, senior portfolio manager at Globalt Investments in Atlanta. “It’s another circular deal, so OK … but Akamai stock is up.”
Chip maker Qualcomm gained and Dell also advanced.Meta Platforms dipped. The social media company’s stock has soared about 13% this week amid a strong reception to its Muse AI agent, which analysts say could benefit tech infrastructure stocks, while challenging banks, online shopping platforms and other consumer businesses.

The S&P 500 this week has traded just under 19 times expected earnings, its lowest valuation since 2023, according to LSEG data. AI-related heavyweights are responsible for much of the recent increase in earnings expectations.

A report that US and Iranian negotiators continued to explore a phased path out of the war, which would involve Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Washington lifting its economic blockade, helped market sentiment.

Data also showed strong AI-related capital expenditures boosted demand for key manufactured capital goods, outpacing expectations in August.

Brent crude eased but remained above $100 a barrel. The yield on the benchmark US 10-year Treasury note hit a fresh 19-year high and was last up 3.4 basis points at 5.196%.

Traders see a 66% chance of the Federal Reserve increasing interest rates by at least 25 basis points in October, up from around 50% earlier this week, the CME Group’s FedWatch Tool showed.

US President Donald Trump said he had a “very productive meeting” with President Xi Jinping, following a three-day summit that showcased personal diplomacy rather than big breakthroughs in economic relations.

Magazine publisher People Inc jumped after a report said MGM Resorts International was discussing a bid for the company.