No kidding, it's Shakira!

Laundry is the last thing on Shakira's mind as she prepares to take on a new role.

The Latin Grammy winner has been appointed as the ambassador for UNICEF. At 26, Shakira is the youngest person and the first Colombian to serve the UN agency that works for children. Other musicians who have served UNICEF include Cat Stevens, Robbie Williams and the late George Harrison.

'It's rewarding to know that I join such a great list of stars supporting UNICEF, and can personally contribute to improving the lives and futures of children,' the singer said in a statement, saying that UNICEF has done 'tremendous work' and made a difference in her home nation.

As an ambassador, Shakira will travel the world to witness the plight of children in developing countries and help promote UNICEF programs.

'Shakira, like all our goodwill ambassadors, was chosen based on her compassion, her involvement in global issues, her deep commitment to helping children, and her appeal to young people around the world,' said UNICEF executive director Carol Bellamy.

First one to pin the wings on her back gets a gold star.

When a fan blows cold

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Masahiko Shizawa is an unhappy man.

No, let's rephrase that. Masahiko Shizawa is a deeply distressed man.

The object of his affection, and subsequently his trauma, is a pop star who answers to the name of Britney Spears.

The 43-year-old Japanese filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Los Angeles alleging that the pop star's guards confronted him on a public street outside her home last year. The guards ordered Shizawa to leave the area. One of them, he alleged, pointed a gun at him as he sat in his car.

The aggrieved fan, who has claimed unspecified damages, said he has been unable to sleep as a result of the emotional distress he suffered from the incident. He has also taken extended time off from work.

Earlier this month a judge ordered Shizawa, who was 'abnormally obsessed and fixated' with Spears, to stay at least 300 yards away from the pop singer for three years. The 21-year-old singer first sought a restraining order against the fan last December, saying he had tracked her and sent photographs of himself with notes that read 'I'm chasing you'.

What this bodes is that a condition known as Stalker's Distress could open a whole new chapter in pop psychology.

Beatles and a bad name

John Lennon breaks his heart. But he thinks Paul McCartney got away with 'making up' things, singer Dave Matthews said in an interview to Rolling Stone.

'Lennon was singing from a real honest place,' he said. 'But McCartney, he was making up things. And it's impossible to know how he could do that so perfectly.'

The front man of the Dave Matthews Band also admitted sheepishly that his band's unimaginative name was a sign of laziness and had caused some tension within the group for a couple of years. 'But it was the fault of everyone in the band,' he said. 'None of us had an idea.'

He thought Pink Floyd was a good name for a great band.

After a gigantic free gig at Central Park where the band played to 80,000 fans, Matthews recently released his solo album Some Devil featuring the popular single Gravedigger.

Besides touring the country with his band, the 36-year-old singer shares duties as a husband and father of twin girls. He will also star in the upcoming Wayne Wang film Because Of Winn-Dixie.

Avril goes to the movies

It was just under a year ago that Avril Lavigne looked all set to win best new artist at the Grammys. The teenager from Napanee, Ontario is now looking at a big screen promo for her new DVD.

November 3, the day before her new DVD My World arrives in stores, it will be projected in AMC theatres in 24 US cities. Lavigne will make an appearance at the New York City screening in Times Square. On November 4, Lavigne will perform with Sarah McLachlan in New York City.

My World was recorded at a performance in Buffalo, New York on May 18. Lavigne also covered Green Day's Basket case and Bob Dylan's Knockin' on heaven's door apart from her hits. The DVD includes five music videos and a behind-the-scenes film. A companion CD of My World will be released the same day.

New releases

Last week Mandy Moore released Coverage (Epic records), a 12-song tribute to her idols. The album, the 19-year-old singer's third after So Real (1999) reissued as I Wanna Be With You the next year, is an all-cover set. Moore has covered Joan Armatrading's Drop the pilot, Joni Mitchell's Help me and Cat Steven's Moonshadow apart from John Hiatt's Have a little faith in me.

Photo: Getty Images

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