People: Bono, African stars launch campaign for women

African stars joined U2 frontman Bono in Lagos, Nigeria, on Friday in a campaign to use music to help empower women around the world.

Bono and top African male musicians D’banj, Diamond and Banky W announced that they will be included in a remix of the song “Strong Girl,” a rallying cry for women’s empowerment that features top African female talent.

Bono, whose ONE advocacy group is the creative force behind the campaign for women’s empowerment, said music can create awareness and help shift policies because politicians are driven by popular sentiment.

“Politicians in the end have to be elected, and what is popular drives all of their decisions. It’s that simple. So if the subject is popular among the electorate, then it suddenly dawns on politicians that this is a subject they, too, feel strongly about,” Bono told reporters.

Sipho Moyo, Africa executive director of ONE, said the campaign hopes to create structural and policy changes globally that will ensure women are empowered. The ultimate goal is to eradicate extreme poverty in 2030, Moyo said.

Watts, Lucas get community service

“Django Unchained” actress Daniele Watts has been ordered to perform community service after a judge refused to buy her apologies to Los Angeles police she’d accused of racial profiling. Watts and her boyfriend, Brian Lucas, were sentenced Wednesday to 15 hours of community labor.

Last September, police questioned the couple while investigating reports of people having sex in a car. Watts, who’s black, and Lucas, who’s white, claimed they were profiled.

The couple later pleaded no contest to disturbing the peace and were told to write apology letters.

In her initial letter, Watts called a police sergeant sarcastic and dismissive, according to the Los Angles Times. The judge said: Try again. This week, Watts apologized for what she called lack of emotional control.

But the judge called the apologies insincere.

The birthday bunch

Actress Betty Lynn (TV: “The Andy Griffith Show”) is 89. Actor Elliott Gould is 77. TV personality Robin Leach is 74. Dancer-choreographer Mark Morris is 59. Actress Rebecca DeMornay is 56. Singer Me’Shell NdegeOcello is 46. Actress-singer Lea Michele is 29. Rock singer Liam Payne (One Direction) is 22.