Shakira, British PM Gordon Brown trade praise

Even if most Americans don't know who he is, British Pime Minister Gordon Brown got a vote of confidence from Colombian hottie Shakira during a Monday telephone conference, the AP reports.

Brown was praising the singer for her working to provide the world's children with a basic education. She's supporting a week of events to highlight advocacy group Global Campaign for Education. Shakira returned the kind words with nothing but adulation for Brown.

"He is a man with wonderful intentions, he is very pro-active, he is working very hard for the issue of education," Shakira said, speaking from Washington on a conference call. She had met Brown before to discuss aid for education, and said she "could feel how passionate and enthusiastic he was about it."

All this and those rumors of her having a sex tape we're untrue, too? Believe it or not, we like it when celebrities use their powers for good, not evil. Of course, Shakira could ask us for change for a dollar and we'd be singing her praises.

[Photo: We're not making it up; here's Shakira in Bangladesh in December. Getty Images]