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Online baby shower

What does the baby of the world’s most famous Latin American singer need? Nothing, apparently.

Expectant parents Shakira and soccer star Gerard Pique of FC Barcelona are inviting friends and family to join an online baby shower to benefit underprivileged children. Their own child is expected to be born early this year.

A UNICEF-hosted web site invites those attending the virtual baby shower to buy gifts costing as little as $5, which can buy a mosquito net to ensure a sleeping baby stays safe from malaria — a leading cause of child deaths worldwide. Guests can spend $10 for polio vaccines to protect 17 children, or $37 for a baby scale.

“To celebrate the arrival of our first child, we hope that, in his name, other less privileged children in the world can have their basic needs covered through gifts and donations,” reads a message from the 35-year-old Colombian superstar, a goodwill ambassador for the UN children’s agency, and Pique. “Thank you for sharing this unforgettable moment with us.”

The site also features never-seen photos of the couple, taken in December.

In a black-and-white image, a shirtless, 25-year-old Pique poses with his right arm around a hugely pregnant Sharika, who wears a bikini top and hip-hugging skirt that shows off her exposed belly.

A second photograph shows her in a white full-length gown that accentuates her expanding torso.

Shakira has been working on her eighth studio album and will fill in for Christina Aguilera as one of the regular coaches for the next season of the U.S. singing competition The Voice.

The singer first publicly confirmed her relationship with Piqué in March 2011 and revealed in September that they were expecting their first child.