5 THINGS WE LEARNED THIS WEEK

1 Retired workaholic men are described in Japan as nureochibazoku (wet fallen leaves). This is because, lacking hobbies and friends through overwork, they follow their wives around like a wet leaf stuck to a shoe.

2 When first mooted 20 years ago, it was suggested that ‘downloadable radio’ should be called ‘Audioblogging’ or ‘GuerillaMedia’. But

The Economist magazine says the words never caught on. Instead, the phrase ‘podcasting’ entered the dictionary – a portmanteau of ‘iPod’ and ‘broadcasting’.

3 One of the world’s smallest fish can produce sounds as loud as gunshots and bulldozers. Acoustics experts say that the 12mm-long Danionella cerebrum makes noises exceeding 140 decibels by tapping out vibrations on a gas-filled organ called a swim bladder.

4 The Taliban is trying to turn Afghanistan into a global cricketing power, says The Washington Post, with plans to build a state-of-the-art stadium in Kabul to host international matches.

Cricket first came to the country after the Soviet Union invaded in 1979: refugees fled to Pakistan, picked up the sport, then continued playing when they returned home.

5 The latest trend in the fashion world is donning ruby-red tights. Most old-school fashion editors would ‘rather have caught hypothermia’ than be seen in a pair of tights, says The Times. But not any more. Hosiery is back, and this time it’s red. The real must-have on the front row this season is ‘opaque, tomato-toned tights’ as sported by celebs including model/reality TV star Kendall Jenner and actress Elle Fanning, left.

Sign up for free to The Knowledge, a five-minute daily newsletter that makes news more manageable at theknowledge.com