Ace Liam, the one-year-old Ghanaian toddler, has secured the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the youngest male artist.

Chantelle Eghan, Liam’s mother, who is also an artist, took to Instagram on Wednesday to announce her son’s feat.

“It’s official!!! @ace_liam_paints my 1 year old son is officially the Guinness world record holder as the YOUNGEST MALE ARTIST in the world. He achieved this feat at the age of 1 year 152 days old,” she wrote.

“Many thanks to everyone who supported us on this journey, your prayers and support brought us this far. The journey was not easy but it was definitely worth it!!!”

GWR also lauded Liam’s artistic prowess, adding that he used his hands and body to manipulate acrylic paint across canvases.

“The youngest artist (male) is Ace-Liam Nana Sam Ankrah (Ghana, b. 16 July 2022), who was 1 year and 152 days old, as verified in Accra, Ghana, on 15 December 2023,” it wrote.

“Ace-Liam’s paintings use a technique which is done by manoeuvring acrylic paint across a canvas using the hands and body to create unique and abstract artworks.

“Since his first artwork entitled “The Crawl”, he has completed another 20 paintings (and counting) and has also participated in his first group exhibition.”

Dante Lamb was the previous record holder. The American achieved the feat in 2003 at the age of three.

About eight TikTok users have taken the U.S. federal government to task, alleging that a statute by President Joe Biden encroaches upon their sacrosanct First Amendment liberties.

This marks the second legal challenge against the government in response to apprehensions surrounding TikTok’s Beijing-centric corporate parentage.

The lawsuit claims the law is too broad and would kill off a big part of American life, which is communication through TikTok. The users suing the government come from different backgrounds, like a Texas rancher and a Tennessee cookie business owner, according to reports by Forbes.

This legal battle comes after ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company in China, filed its lawsuit, saying the law might violate free speech. ByteDance also says the time given to sell TikTok is impossible to meet.

The lawsuit highlights just how big TikTok is in the U.S., with about 170 million Americans using it to watch and share videos.

One important quote from the lawsuit shows that despite their differences, TikTok users feel strongly about the app: “Although they come from different places, professions, walks of life, and political persuasions, (American TikTok users) are united in their view that TikTok provides them a unique and irreplaceable means to express themselves and form community.”

The legal battle started when President Biden signed a law saying TikTok had to find a new owner or get banned. This was part of a big money package to help countries like Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.  

The law gave TikTok 270 days to sell, with a chance for an extra 90 days if they made progress. TikTok says it’s not possible to sell the app in that short time, and they think the law is too harsh. 

Before the law was passed, TikTok fans went to Washington D.C., to try and save the app. They used hashtags like “#KeepTikTok” and contacted politicians to support them. Lawmakers had been worried about TikTok for a while because they thought it could be a security risk and that ByteDance might be sharing user data with China. TikTok says it’s not doing that. 

In 2022, Congress banned TikTok on federal devices, and some states did the same. Montana even tried to ban TikTok statewide, but the courts stopped it, saying it was unfair and targeted China. 

As the legal battle heats up, it shows how much is at stake for TikTok and its users – it’s not just about an app, but about free speech, privacy, and international relations.

Mahamat Déby, Chad’s transitional president, has been declared winner of the country’s presidential poll.

The Chadian National Election Management Agency said on Thursday that Déby won the May 6 election with over 61 percent of the votes cast, to beat Succès Masra, the incumbent prime minister and main opponent, who was said to have received 18.5 percent.

The victory allows Déby, the incumbent, to hold onto the presidency, and eliminates the chance of a runoff which would have happened had no candidate received more than 50 percent of the votes.

Déby’s victory also means his family will continue its 34-year dynasty.

Before the election results were announced, Masra announced himself winner in a Facebook broadcast.

The prime minister called on his supporters and security forces to oppose what he said was an attempt by Déby to “steal the victory from the people”.

“A small number of individuals believe they can make people believe that the election was won by the same system that has been ruling Chad for decades,” he said.

“To all Chadians who voted for change, who voted for me, I say: mobilise. Do it calmly, with a spirit of peace.”

Meanwhile, in a victory speech, the president promised to serve all Chadians — “those who voted for me and those who made other choices”.

Provisional results were expected by May 21 and the outcome by June 5.

The results of Monday’s election still have to be confirmed by the country’s Constitutional Council.

The election marks the end of the political transition in the country — from military rule to democracy.