Jackson Wang is trending on Twitter again. And this time, all it took was a single photo.
The Chinese K-pop star is the latest cover model for Super Elle, a Chinese fashion and lifestyle magazine aimed at readers in their teens and 20s.
For those who may not be familiar with Wang, he's best known for being a member of the K-pop band Got7. However, he's also found success as a solo artist, becoming the highest charting Chinese artist on the Billboard 200 with his first solo album Mirrors, which he debuted in November 2019. Here are five things to know about him:
1. He comes from a family of athletes
His father was a member of China's national fencing team and won a gold medal at the Asian Games. He also competed in two Summer Olympics. His mother was a former world-class gymnast. Wang started training as a fencer at the age of 10 and was a member of the Hong Kong national fencing team. He was so good at the sport, he got offered a scholarship to Stanford University in the US and could have joined Hong Kong's national team for the 2012 London Olympics, but turned the opportunity down to become a K-pop star instead.
2. He was a K-pop trainee for two and a half years
It may seem like he was born to be a K-pop star now, but back in 2011, after he moved to Seoul, South Korea, to start training, it took hard work to kickstart his career. Wang made an appearance on the reality survival show Win: Who is Next, which pitted K-pop trainees against one another and eventually won a spot on Got7 with fellow trainees Mark, Yugyeom and BamBam.
3. He's quite the funnyman
Appearing on Korean and Chinese variety shows, Wang doesn't shy away from the camera. He's appeared on an endless list of television programmes, which has helped create a global fan base. He also appeared on a Late, Late Show segment called This is How We Do It with James Corden.
4. He can speak multiple languages
Wang is known for being able to speak five languages fluently: Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghainese, English and Korean. He was born and raised in Hong Kong, but his parents are from China so he likely learnt Mandarin and Shanghainese from them. He also attended the American International School, and Cantonese and English are widely spoken in Hong Kong. And, of course, he learnt Korean while training to become the star he is today.
5. He's incredibly popular in China
On the Sina Weibo social media platform alone, he has 24.2 million followers. Of course, he also spends time working on his Chinese brand. He's appeared on Chinese television and even held a birthday party at the Beijing Olympics Sports Centre in 2019 with all 5,000 tickets selling out in 98 seconds. He was appointed as an ambassador for Fendi China and launched a collaboration for a limited-edition line called the Fendi X Jackson Wang Capsule Collection.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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Al Jazira 3 Persepolis 2
Jazira: Mabkhout (52'), Romarinho (77'), Al Hammadi (90' 6)
Persepolis: Alipour (42'), Mensha (84')
The Voice of Hind Rajab
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Rating: 4/5
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
