Ronnie O'Sullivan must match Stephen Hendry's World Championship title haul to be considered snooker's greatest player, according to reigning world champion Stuart Bingham.

Hendry, who retired in 2012, has seven Crucible titles to his name, while O'Sullivan has won snooker's showpiece event on five occasions.
"Ronnie is the best player to ever pick up a cue," Bingham, 39, told BBC Sport.
"But to be the greatest player you have to beat the records."
O'Sullivan, 40, is looking to go within one world title of the Scot, who won a total of 36 ranking titles, when this year's event gets under way on Saturday.
Bingham added: "Hendry was a born winner; he only loved winning and he was more ruthless than anyone. Ronnie is the most talented and the best in the world, but to be the greatest ever you need titles."
Bingham beat O'Sullivan on his way to lifting snooker's biggest prize in Sheffield for the first time last year and he is in no doubt that the unpredictable talents of the 28-time ranking event winner make him the man to beat once again.
"He is the only person in the game who has the aura that Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis had," Bingham added.
"Whatever tournament he enters, he is probably going to be favourite - and rightly so. He is the best player in the world."
Bingham said the game's best players were capable of toppling O'Sullivan, but it was also a matter of believing it, and lasting the distance at the 17-day tournament.
"Anyone now in the top 16 will fancy their chances," the Basildon-born potter said. "But, when it comes down to the crunch, to actually beat Ronnie, it's a different ball game.
"I remember saying to Ronnie last year: 'How have you won it five times?' I won it last year and it took me three weeks to get over it.
"How he has done it five times I will never know. It just shows you what a class act he is."


More than 100 leading robotics experts are urging the United Nations to take action in order to prevent the development of "killer robots".

In a letter to the organisation, artificial intelligence (AI) leaders, including billionaire Elon Musk, warn of "a third revolution in warfare".
The letter says "lethal autonomous" technology is a "Pandora's box", adding that time is of the essence.
The 116 experts are calling for a ban on the use of AI in managing weaponry.
"Once developed, they will permit armed conflict to be fought at a scale greater than ever, and at timescales faster than humans can comprehend," the letter says.
"These can be weapons of terror, weapons that despots and terrorists use against innocent populations, and weapons hacked to behave in undesirable ways," it adds.
There is an urgent tone to the message from the technology leaders, who warn that "we do not have long to act".
"Once this Pandora's box is opened, it will be hard to close."
Experts are calling for what they describe as "morally wrong" technology to be added to the list of weapons banned under the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
Along with Tesla co-founder and chief executive Mr Musk, the technology leaders include Mustafa Suleyman, Google's DeepMind co-founder.
A UN group focusing on autonomous weaponry was scheduled to meet on Monday but the meeting has been postponed until November, according to the group's website.
A potential ban on the development of "killer robot" technology has previously been discussed by UN committees.
In 2015, more than 1,000 tech experts, scientists and researchers wrote a letter warning about the dangers of autonomous weaponry.
Among the signatories of the 2015 letter were scientist Stephen Hawking, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Mr Musk.
A killer robot is a fully autonomous weapon that can select and engage targets without human intervention. They do not currently exist but advances in technology are bringing them closer to reality.
Those in favour of killer robots believe the current laws of war may be sufficient to address any problems that might emerge if they are ever deployed, arguing that a moratorium, not an outright ban, should be called if this is not the case.
However, those who oppose their use believe they are a threat to humanity and any autonomous "kill functions" should be banned.
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Shaun Murphy beat world champion Stuart Bingham 10-9 in a thrilling contest to win the World Grand Prix in Llandudno.

Both players were appearing in their first ranking final since the 2015 World Championship, as Murphy scrapped his way to a 4-1 advantage.
Bingham fought back, compiling a break of 91 to go 5-4 ahead after the first session and extending his lead to 7-6.
Murphy made breaks of 94 and a superb 120 to lead 9-8, Bingham levelled, but Murphy took the 19th frame for victory.
"It had the feel of a 9-9 in that neither of us were going to get away from the other one and shake each other off," Murphy told BBC Sport.
"At nine all you just have to think on your feet - I saw an opportunity for a long red in the green pocket and took it."
Despite leading early on, world number seven Murphy struggled to find his rhythm and was pegged back by his opponent.
"I was lucky I had the 4-1 lead," he said. "My head had gone at the interval and I was just happy to get out of the arena and go back to the hotel to regroup."
The 33-year-old was much more fluent in the final session to pick up the sixth ranking title win of his career and the £100,000 winner's prize money.
World number two Bingham, 39, has suffered a disappointing season since beating Murphy 18-15 to win the sport's biggest prize at the Crucible last May and has failed to pick up a title so far.
"At 4-1 down I felt like I had someone else's cue or arm - I was all over the place," said Bingham.
"To come out 5-4 up after the first session I was ecstatic.
"The way my season has gone, to get to the final and have a sniff of winning, will do me a hell of good for the next tournament."
The next ranking title is the Players Championship in Manchester, taking place from 22 to 27 March.
Stuart Bingham (Eng) 9-10 Shaun Murphy (Eng)
13-76, 50-66, 96-20 (68), 26-74, 4-93 (58), 77-62, 61-29 (55), 101-5 (93), 80-56 (74), 69-6 (68), 40-62 (52), 19-72, 85-2, 0-94 (94), 23-79, 65-54, 0-120 (120), 84-2, 0-72


Belfast punk band Stiff Little Fingers will go ahead with their Paris gig despite Friday's terrorist attacks, in which 129 people were killed.

Eighty-nine of those killed were attending a rock concert at the Bataclan Theatre.
Stiff Little Fingers are due to play in Paris on Tuesday night.
The band came to prominence during Belfast's punk movement in the 1970s, which was the height of the Northern Ireland Troubles.
Band leader Jake Burns said their experience of musicians avoiding Belfast because of the Troubles made them more determined to take to the stage in Paris.
He said: "Having grown up in Northern Ireland in the 70s, I remember bands not coming to play because of the conflict.
"As a youngster, it was frustrating to be deprived of such a normal part of life.
"For us as a band, our performances were sometimes delayed because of disturbances and road blocks, nothing serious. But we do have an appreciation of just how difficult these situations can be.
"Obviously, in Northern Ireland, conflict became very much the normal state of affairs. Here, it isn't.
"It's a huge shock to the system for people here. Unfortunately, we can't do a lot to help, we're just here to do our job."
Stiff Little Fingers have played in Paris on numerous occasions in the past.
"We've always enjoyed playing here, and as tragic as this situation obviously is, I think the quicker people can get back to normal life, the better."
The band kept in touch with their French promoter over the weekend, when there was a nation-wide ban on large public gatherings.
Once the ban was lifted, they saw no reason to cancel their show.
"As long as the promoter was willing to go ahead, we didn't see any reason why we shouldn't play," said Jake.
The BBC understands that extra security will be provided at the Backstage at the Mill venue, where the concert is being staged.
The band Eagles of Death Metal, which was playing at the Bataclan Theatre at time of the attacks, have cancelled their European dates.
One of the merchandise sellers with Eagles of Death Metal, Nick Alexander from Colchester, was killed as suicide bombers armed with guns stormed the music venue.
At least three employees of Universal Music France were also among the dead.
The band had been due to play 21 more concerts across Europe in the run-up to Christmas after their appearance at the Bataclan Theatre.
But they're cutting short a tour that had been due to run until 10 December in Portugal.
The American band Foo Fighters has called off the remaining dates of their European tour, while U2 cancelled their Paris show, which was due to take place on Saturday.
The Irish band spent the evening laying flowers near the Bataclan theatre.
Jake said he understood the decisions of both bands.
"In fairness to the Foo Fighters, they are incredibly close friends with the Eagles of Death Metal so that must have affected them badly.  And with regard to U2, there was a nation-wide ban so they didn't have much choice."
He said he has had no indication of whether or not their fans are likely to avoid their gig in light of the security threat.
"I really have no idea of what to expect with regards to audience.
"Obviously, we hope people will come out, but equally you couldn't blame people for being a bit nervous, so we just have to play it by ear.
"We were driving in last night and the city was much quieter than normal, but it wasn't a ghost town.  I didn't see evidence of heightened security."
Expressing condolences for the families of the victims, he said:  "It's such a tragedy.  I can't even begin to imagine how horrific it must have been for those involved.
"For us, we're musicians, we've just come to do what we do. Hopefully the people who come tonight can manage to forget about their troubles for an hour and a half.
"That would be our job done as we see it."


It was a final chance for MPs to rehearse their campaign slogans.

Never knowingly off message, Alun Cairns threw a couple of random references to "strong and stable leadership" during the first five minutes of Welsh questions, the last one before the general election.
He also praised "two Welsh stars", one of whom finished more than an hour ahead of the secretary of state in the London Marathon. "Josh Griffiths of the Swansea Harriers was the first Briton to cross the finishing line at the London marathon at the weekend. In particular, I want to pay tribute to Matthew Rees, who helped a fellow runner during the closing stages of the marathon."
But Welsh questions was more like Brexit question time as opposition MPs queued up to highlight the risks for Welsh farmers and industry of Wales leaving the European Union.
Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards asked: "Why doesn't he come clean today and admit that it is the intention of the Tories to sell Welsh producers down the river in order to open up markets for the bankers of London?"
Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Williams added:  "Is it not obvious that 40% tariffs would destroy Welsh agriculture?"
And shadow Wales Office Minister Gerald Jones accused the government of being prepared "to play fast and loose with the Welsh economy, with an extreme Tory vision of Brexit that would put Welsh jobs and livelihoods at risk".
Alun Cairns said he didn't recognise the premise of the question. "We want the freest, most open trading agreement, and it seems to me that the real investors, who are creating real jobs, are taking us towards our ambition."
His Labour shadow Christina Rees wanted to know about progress on projects in the last Conservative manifesto. "Is there any chance of progress on the electrification of the Great Western Railway to Swansea, the north Wales growth plan and the HS2 hub in Crewe before purdah kicks in?"
Wales Office Minister Guto Bebb sidestepped the rail electrification question but said there had been a meeting on the HS2 hub on Tuesday.
Purdah actually began on April 22 but with an election imminent, a commitment to electrification - and the Swansea tidal lagoon, which also featured - are legitimate questions for all parties hoping to form a government next month.
Welsh questions was followed by prime minister's questions, with campaign slogans embraced so keenly by Conservative MPs they made Alun Cairns look potentially lukewarm in his endorsement of Theresa May.
Newport West Labour MP Paul Flynn was so concerned he raised a point of order with Speaker John Bercow, telling him: "You and I are familiar with the syndrome of pre-election tension that afflicts this place. You are concerned for the wellbeing of Members....but I believe that what we have seen today is a sudden outbreak of parliamentary Tourette's.
"The rumour is that something known as a "Crosby chip" has been implanted in the brains of Conservative Members that compels them to say "strong and stable" every 18 seconds and "coalition of chaos" every 38 seconds. Can we inquire into whether the affliction is permanent or one that can be cured?"
Having listened to a six-minute Radio Wales interview with Theresa May, and lost count of the "strong and stable" references, I fear there may be no cure. But then politicians say that it is only when they are fed up spouting the slogans that voters are starting to hear them.


A man accused of killing a love rival has denied playing any part in the attack that led to his death.

Shiraz Bashir is accused of murdering Craig Preston, 34, together with his lover Leonie Mason and three teenagers.
Mr Bashir said he had gone to meet Mr Preston to resolve a "problem" when one of the teenagers launched the attack and two more sprang from a nearby bush.
He claimed he shouted at Ms Mason and the boys to stop but was hit with a wooden stick. All five deny murder.
More stories from across Yorkshire
Prosecutors allege Mr Bashir, 42, and Ms Mason, 23, plotted to kill Mr Preston, also known as Craig Nelson, because he was an "annoyance" to their relationship.
They claim Mr Preston, who was also in a relationship with Ms Mason at the time, was tied up and then kicked, punched and stamped on before being bundled into a car boot and dumped near the Woodhead Tunnel on 21 August. His body was found the following day.
Under cross examination from Jason Pitter QC, acting for Ms Mason, he was asked: "So you played no part at all in any of the violence?"
He replied: "I did not play a part. That's true."
He said he had travelled to the lay-by in Rotherham were the attack took place alone and was "surprised" when two teenagers appeared from the bushes.
He said a third teenager, who arrived with Ms Mason and Mr Preston, had struck the first blow before the others joined in. He said he was struck with a stick during the attack.
Mr Pitter said: "So you position is that you were unable to stop what was occurring?"
Mr Bashir said: "After being hit by a stick I could not move my shoulder. I was in pain."
"Did you just stand there and watch what was happening?" asked the barrister.
"Yes," said Mr Bashir. "I did shout out. I shouted, 'Stop it'."
He denied then driving with Ms Mason to the Woodhead Tunnel to dump Mr Preston's body, saying that when he asked Ms Mason what had happened later she told him she had dropped Mr Preston back at his flat.
The trial of Mr Bashir and Ms Mason, both of Holme Park Court, Huddersfield, and the three teenagers, who cannot be named due to their age, continues at Sheffield Crown Court.


Sport Wales sent former rugby star Non Evans into the Wales women camp in the middle of their Women's Six Nations campaign.

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But it did not quite go to plan as Non found herself in a bit of a muddle while trying to do an interview in English with Catrin Edwards.
Sport Wales is on BBC Two Wales every Friday and available on the iPlayer for seven days after transmission.


Prop Biyi Alo has signed a permanent contract with Worcester Warriors.

The 22-year-old joined in June from Saracens as injury dispensation cover and has made nine appearances, with his first Premiership start coming against Harlequins on New Year's Day.
"He has taken his opportunities within the European Challenge Cup and Anglo-Welsh Cup and that has seen him rewarded," said head coach Carl Hogg.
"He is a fine scrummager and gives us front-foot ball with his big frame."
Alo came through the ranks at Sarries and made his Premiership debut against Harlequins at Wembley in 2015.


Greece is struggling with big money problems and it's affecting the lives of people living there, including children.

Media playback is unsupported on your device
9 July 2015 Last updated at 08:03 BST
Ricky's been to Greece's capital city Athens to meet children who are off from school for the summer to see how things have changed for them.
From getting less pocket money and shops closing in their local area, they've been telling Ricky what it's been like...
Guide: Why is Greece in so much trouble?


Leading health experts have called for smoking to be banned in outdoor public spaces such as parks.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, former Labour Health Minister Lord Darzi and others argue it would encourage people to make healthier lifestyle choices.
But in the same journal, Prof Simon Chapman of the University of Sydney called the idea "paternalistic".
The UK smoking ban introduced in 2007 covers indoor public spaces.
But Lord Darzi and Dr Oliver Keown - both based at Imperial College London - argue it should now be extended to include parks and squares.
Despite outcry over what some considered an attack on public freedom, smoking rates have fallen and attitudes to this type of measure are changing, they say.
And they give the example of New York City, where a ban in workplaces and recreational areas was extended in 2011 to cover public spaces including parks, squares and beaches.
Lord Darzi says policies need to move forward from offering potential protection from passive smoking to consider opportunities for behaviour change,
He suggests that reducing the chance of young people seeing others light up would make smoking behaviour appear less of a norm.
An extended ban would be an opportunity to celebrate healthy living, clean air and the physical activity green spaces are meant for, he argues.
But Prof Chapman says the 2007 indoor smoking ban focused on evidence of the harms of passive smoking in indoor spaces or workplaces over long periods of time.
In contrast "fleeting encounters with cigarette plumes" in wide open spaces pose "a near homeopathic level of risk to others", he says.
He suggests the relative lack of research looking specifically at the impact of lighting up cigarettes in parks and on beaches is down to scientists appreciating that such exposures "would be so small, dissipated and transitory as to be of no concern".
Prof Chapman says policies based on mere sightings of smokers are "redolent of totalitarian regimes in their penchants for repressing various liberties."
He asks: "Why not extend the same reasoning to drinkers or to people wolfing down supersized orders in fast food outlets?"
Simon Clark, director of the smokers' group Forest, said: "Tobacco is a legal product and smokers pay Â£10bn a year in tobacco taxation alone.
"As long as they are considerate to those around them they must be allowed to light up outside without being harassed or made to feel uncomfortable.
"We must be careful we don't create a world only puritans can inhabit."
Councillor Izzi Seccombe of the Local Government Association, said: "Local authorities are already running a wide range of innovative schemes to help people stub out smoking. But they have a limited health budget with competing priorities.
"By putting some of the existing tobacco duty to better use, we could do so much more.
"This is why we are calling on government to help people live healthier lives and tackle the harm caused by tobacco by reinvesting a fifth of existing duty raised on cigarettes."


Councillors have clashed over plans for the "delayed" revamp of Gloucester's Kings Square.

The Conservative-controlled city council signed a 2011 deal with developer Stanhope, which has yet to submit a planning application.
Leader Paul James said the "final scheme will be very different to what the public has seen before".
However, the Labour group criticised how long it has been delayed.
Mr James said the plans, to be discussed by cabinet in a private meeting, would be announced "within a week or two".
Stanhope now has until the end of the month to submit a planning application for the new retail development - a deadline already extended twice.
Kate Haigh, opposition leader of the Labour group, said: "I think the delays have been so long that it's time to consider what the people of Gloucester want nowadays, rather than in the context of five or six years ago when these plans were first put forward."
Conservative Mr James said regeneration of this type "took a long time".
He said: "There are complexities with the planning system, there are issues around land acquisition. But it is moving forward.
"It will not be a major retail-led scheme because the world has moved on. And I've given a commitment, as well, that we will build a new indoor market on the site next to the new bus station, which is now on site and which people said would never happen."
Stanhope declined to comment.


Plans to close a hospital psychiatric unit have been dropped following a public campaign.

The Kentmere Ward at the Westmorland General Hospital was criticised in a Care Quality Commission report, which highlighted a lack of single sex rooms and suitable outside spaces.
Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust announced its closure in May.
It will now remain open, pending a consultation of adult mental health inpatient services due later this year.
The closure would have meant mental health patients having to travel as far as Carlisle, Barrow and Whitehaven for treatment.
It prompted a campaign led by local MP Tim Farron, and a petition which attracted more than 7,000 signatures.
Claire Molloy, from the foundation trust, said: "Whilst we acknowledge that Kentmere does not meet the standards of modern mental health inpatient care, we are satisfied that the actions taken over the past few months are managing the risks posed by the environment on a short term basis.
"We have also reviewed the risk of putting in place an alternative service if the ward was to temporarily close, and have concluded that the risk of closing the ward temporarily is greater than keeping it open."
Tim Farron, the Lib Dem MP Westmorland and Lonsdale, said: "Today's victory is the result of months of campaigning by local people, who have made it very clear to local health bosses that we will not accept mental health services being removed from South Lakeland."


Ex-paparazzo Darryn Lyons' rough-and-tumble tabloid attitude has brought his term as mayor of an Australian city to an end.

Whatever Darryn Lyons does, he does colourfully. With his fake abs, pink Mohawk and garish fashion choices, the ex-paparazzo and reality television star goes to extreme lengths to ensure he is not ignored.
He came to prominence as the head and founder of photo agency Big Photos, ruling one of the UK's most prominent paparazzi empires from a red velvet throne carved with his initials.
Branding himself "Mr Paparazzi", his appearances on television shows such as Celebrity Big Brother, Deadline and Top Gear in the UK, and Dragons' Den and Excess Baggage in Australia, established him as a media personality, even as his photography business collapsed.
But in 2013 he made an unlikely career change, leaving behind the world of celebrity scandal to become the mayor of Geelong in Australia.
Lyons campaigned aggressively on a platform of radical revitalisation for the city, with a take-no-prisoners attitude that cut through with voters. But that aggressive approach, which served him well as a photographer, now seems likely to cost him his job.
This week's public release of a 1,500-page report from an independent Commission of Inquiry identified a "culture of bullying" in Geelong's City Hall, with Lyons at the centre.
The report outlined a pattern of behaviour by the mayor who frequently swore at staff, publicly belittled them and created a "climate of fear and anxiety". Lyons, for his part, admitted that he should be "held accountable" for the swearing but said he was trying to hold his staff to high standards in a tough administrative environment.
Should the Victorian state government pass the bill in its current state, the entire Geelong council will be sacked and an administrator appointed until 2020, ending mayor's short-but-colourful political career.
Lyons had never been expected to get the job. His predecessor Keith Fagg, the preferred candidate of the local business community, triggered an early election race after he resigned for "health reasons".
Geelong's business and political establishment supported Ken Jarvis, a former mayor of Geelong known for a failed attempt to bring a Guggenheim Museum to the city. Lyons's candidacy at first appeared to be a joke but it soon became clear that the colourful photographer was shaping up as a serious contender.
Fruit and vegetable tycoon Frank Costa - the president of the Geelong Cats, an Australian Rules football club that is as synonymous with the city as the Yankees are with New York - hinted that if the wrong candidate won, the state government might step in, sack the council and place it into administration.
But he could not stop Lyons who won by 58,000 votes, delivered in part through a social media presence of 717,000 Twitter followers, T-shirts, trailers, non-stop public appearances and a few carefully timed, self-deprecating jokes about his surgically enhanced abs.
On 16 November 2013 Lyons was sworn in as mayor and it was not long before he started making people mad.
The trouble started with a widely ridiculed commercial, seen here on YouTube, that depicted the citizens of Geelong as zombies, wedded to their manufacturing past. Lyons, draped in mayoral chains and clutching a magical staff, rode into the city on a horse.
With a thrust of the mayor's staff, a blinding flash of light banished the undead and turned Geelong into a middle-class playground of seafood lunches, amusement parks and sommeliers in top hats.
Then there was the billboard erected alongside a major highway into town, that showed Lyons next to his personal slogan "Giddy up!" What the mayor saw as good advertising, others saw as reminiscent of a North Korean personality cult.
And the truth was that Geelong was not "giddying up". At the start of 2014, the city was hit with what Lyons himself called a "tsunami" of job losses, as Alcoa closed its Port Henry aluminium smelter and Ford announced it would close its engine works down in October 2016.
By August 2014, unemployment had spiked across Geelong, the city was still in debt and it was not long before local councillors were talking about "tough budgets" and funding cuts.
Bubbling away behind the scenes was the culture of bullying in Geelong City Council that the Victorian government's report painted in detail.
The report outlines an entrenched culture of bullying and abuse by councillors and council staff, including Lyons.
In one incident, a manager hacked holes in a wall with an axe after a pregnant woman asked for her workspace to be ventilated of chemicals.
Lyons admitted to many of the claims in the report, including the claim that he had made key staff members so intimidated that they had to be physically relocated to a different part of the building, away from the newly-refurbished mayoral offices.
When Lyons appeared on popular morning breakfast show TODAY on Wednesday, he admitted to an "outburst" against a female staff member but said he had been singled out in the report. He said that while he was "bullish", he was not a "bully".
"I'm the first to admit that my razzamatazz and in-your-face style has not been to everyone's liking and I've stepped on a few toes, and even grumbled and yelled quite a bit in getting things done for my city," Lyons said.
"But I've suffered the frustrations of any leader who wants to change the world overnightâ€¦ who gets impatient with those who haven't been able to keep up with the pace."
The bill to sack the council is set to be debated in the upper house of the Victorian state parliament, where the Victorian Labor government does not have a majority. The government still needs support from the opposition or minor parties to push it through.
But even if it fails to pass, it seems unlikely that the Lyons mayorship can survive. Mr Paparazzi, once a king among muckrakers, has been sunk by a scandal of his own.


Fashion chain Next's shares have dropped 6% with investors disappointed by its latest trading update.

The High Street retailer warned the market "remains challenging" as it reported a 2.5% drop in total sales for the past three months.
Next also cut the top end of its profit forecast, and now expects full-year profits of between £680m and £740m compared with an earlier forecast of £680m to £780m.
Store sales fell by just over 8%.
However, its overall performance was buoyed by its Directory sales, which rose 3.3% for the 13 weeks to 29 April.
"The UK consumer environment remains challenging, particularly in the clothing and homeware markets, and real wage growth is now close to zero," Next said in its trading statement.
The weak performance was expected after the retailer had warned in March of "another tough year ahead".
In March, Next reported its first drop in annual profit for eight years and said it remained "extremely cautious" about trading.
The chain had also warned that by focusing energy on "adopting exciting new trends" it had omitted some of its "best-selling, heartland product from our ranges".
In its latest update, Next said its fashion ranges would still not be where "we wanted them to be until the Autumn season in September".
"We still believe this to be the case," it said.


The security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo appears to be deteriorating.

The headquarters of thee opposition parties have been torched in the capital, Kinshasa, hours after an opposition-organised protest triggered violent clashes with police, leaving at least 17 people dead.
What lies behind the opposition protests?
The opposition fears that President Joseph Kabila will prove to be similar to some of his regional counterparts by hanging on to power through sleight of hand.
Their concerns have been fuelled by the fact that the government is laying the groundwork for postponing presidential elections due in November.
Following a case brought by the ruling party, the Constitutional Court - comprising the country's most senior judges - ruled in July that Mr Kabila can remain in office if  logistical difficulties force a delay in the elections.
And a delay is likely, as the electoral commission has said it needs at least until July 2017 to register more than 30 million voters in a country similar in size to Western Europe, but with one of the worst transport and communication links in the world.
And its east is mostly lawless with myriad militias controlling patches of territory, making voter registration more difficult.
So far, Mr Kabila is tight-lipped, leaving his political allies to do his bidding for him.
Why won't he face the electorate?
He cannot - and that is his problem. Since taking power following the assassination of his father in 2001, he has won two elections.
The constitution bars him from seeking a third term. So the best way for him to remain in power is to delay the election.
Another option is to lift the two-term presidential limit, but Mr Kabila might struggle to garner a two-thirds parliamentary majority to push through such an unpopular constitutional amendment.
And he may be aware of the fate of other leaders who tinkered with the constitution - especially Burkina Faso's long-serving ruler Blaise Compaore who was overthrown in a popular uprising in 2014 following his bid to alter the constitution so that he could seek re-election.
The arrogance of power
Won't foreign powers force him to hold the November election?
This is unlikely. Influential African leaders such as Angola's Jose Eduardo dos Santos (in power since 1979),  Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe (since 1980) and Uganda's Yoweri Museveni (since 1986) have a reputation of seeking to be presidents-for-life. So, the chances of them pushing for an end to Mr Kabila's 16-year rule are remote.
The African Union has appointed former Togolese premier Edem Kodjo as mediator, but the opposition has refused to deal with him and has accused him of being biased in favour of Mr Kabila.
As for Europe and the US, they have relatively little leverage over Mr Kabila because DR Congo has the natural resources that they need - including diamonds, gold, copper, zinc, cobalt, coltan, used in mobile phones, and cassiterite, essential for making tin cans.
Plus there is no certainty that they want Mr Kabila out - they may publicly call on him to step down but privately they may take the view, better the devil you know than the devil you don't.
What about the UN force in DR Congo?
Mr Kabila has been pushing for its withdrawal from DR Congo, alleging that its presence undermines the sovereignty of the country.
So it is unlikely to get involved for fear of antagonising Mr Kabila, and jeopardising its peacekeeping operations in the east.
The UN has about 20,000 troops in DR Congo, making it one of the biggest peacekeeping missions in the world.
Although it is often criticised for failing to do enough to disarm militias in the east, its presence is seen as vital in maintaining regional stability.
DR Congo has been at the centre of what has been dubbed Africa's World War, with six nations fighting a proxy war which led to the loss of some five million lives between 1994 and 2003.
Mr Kabila has used the conflict to his advantage by portraying himself as a guarantor of stability.
But can he survive the protests?
Having twice lost to Mr Kabila in election, DR Congo's main opposition leader, the 83-year-old Etienne Tshisekedi, knows that age is against him in his bid to secure the presidency.
So he will be hoping that if Mr Kabila does not bow out gracefully, he will be toppled in a popular uprising - like Mr Compaore or Egypt's Hosni Mubarak.
As for the 45-year-old president, he has been relying on a mixture of repression and diplomacy to remain in office - and no successor has been groomed within his PPRD party.
He has pardoned some political prisoners, and has called for a national dialogue to resolve the escalating crisis.
At the same time, the authorities have targeted the president's rivals.
Business tycoon Moise Katumbi has been sentenced in absentia to 36 months in prison after being convicted of corruption - a charge he denied.
He fled the country before the trial, raising doubts whether he will be able to return to challenge the 19-year rule of the Kabila dynasty in one of Africa's richest countries.


An ancient Pembrokeshire manorial title is due to go under the hammer on Tuesday.

Auctioneers Seel & Co are offering the highest bidder the chance to acquire the title The Lord/Lady of Wedlock after their name.
The listing has a guide price of £2,000.
The title may be used on passports, driving licences and other official documents.


UK shares remained on the front foot on Friday, pushing the FTSE 100 index to its second consecutive closing high.

The FTSE 100 closed up 9 points to 7,424.96, although that is just short of the record intra-day high of 7,444.62 hit on Thursday.
RBS was among the risers on the FTSE 100, closing up 1.4% after upbeat comments from analysts at Natixis.
In the FTSE 250, shares in Tullow Oil slumped by 14% on news of a rights issue.
Tullow said it was planning to raise about Â£607m through the share sale in order to cut its debts.
Housebuilder Berkeley Group was the biggest riser in the FTSE 250, climbing 6% after it said its full-year profits were set to be at the top end of forecasts.
The company added that the housing market in London and the South East had now "stabilised" since the post-Brexit vote fall in sales.
On the currency markets, the pound was up 0.21% against the dollar at $1.2385 and sterling was also up 0.4% against the euro at 1.1521 euros.


The difference in infant mortality rates between the richest and poorest areas is "shocking", the new chief medical officer for Wales has said.

In his first annual report, Dr Frank Atherton has focused on health inequalities between the most deprived and least deprived areas.
The rates of baby deaths aged under one year are almost 50% higher in the poorest parts.
He called it an "unacceptable difference".
Dr Atherton said the NHS has to really think about how it focuses services to the most deprived areas.
The latest infant mortality figures for Wales stand at 3.7 deaths per 1,000 on average, compared to 4.4 between 2002 and 2011.
But it was 5.6 deaths per 1,000 in the most deprived areas of Wales, compared to 3.8 in the least deprived parts. Most deaths are for conditions related to pregnancy and birth.
"It's shocking and it's unfair and it's preventable. We can do better than that here in Wales," Dr Atherton said.
"Infant mortality rates are improving but we need to ensure they improve for everybody."
On childhood obesity, there was a "clear correlation" between levels of deprivation and rates of being overweight or obese - ranging from 28.4% of children living in the most deprived areas to 20.9% in the least deprived.
The report found one in seven children (14.7%) living in Merthyr Tydfil was obese, compared with just one in 14 children (7.3%) living in the Vale of Glamorgan.
HOW WE USED TO LIVE
WORKING WITH PARENTS IN CARDIFF TODAY
Jane Imperato, a team leader with Cardiff Flying Start and health visitor of almost 30 years, said: "We try to make sure that parents understand what their babies are trying to communicate to them, so we can give them the best possible start in life.
"We provide some outreach programmes with the homeless team and also with Gypsy travellers."
In the future, the programme is looking to introduce baby boxes - a Finnish idea which has just been given the go ahead in Scotland - which include about 80 useful items for new-born babies and which have been credited with cutting infant mortality rates.
Dr Atherton wants public services to work together to better target people who are disadvantaged.
"Our social circumstances and environmental factors are a significant influence on our health. So improving the health of the nation and reducing health inequalities means we must look at these wider influences," he said.
Dr Mair Parry, of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in Wales, said personal social health education was "desperately needed" in all schools to help tackle the effects of poverty, which "sadly often runs in family cycles".
"Through classes on sex education and relationships, the effects of smoking, drug and alcohol abuse and health and wellbeing, when taught early, has a real opportunity to influence young peoples' lives," she said.
"It's only then can these cycles be broken."
Welsh Local Government Association chief executive Steve Thomas said there was joint working going on between councils and health and social care bodies but it was important to keep the pressure on.
"It's tough in terms of budget constraints, it's tough in terms of making sure that we deal with the most disadvantaged communities out there, particularly in terms of health inequalities but that is assisted by the fact that public sector organisations can work together and do work together," he said.


Iconic dresses by Christian Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier rub shoulders with sculptures by Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth in an exhibition curated by one of Britain's leading fashion designers.

17 March 2017 Last updated at 18:32 GMT
Jonathan Anderson - creative director of the JW Anderson and Loewe labels - has put together the Disobedient Bodies exhibition at the Hepworth Wakefield gallery.
He has placed fashion items next to sculptures to show how designers and artists have tackled the human body - and how art has influenced what we wear.
The exhibition, which opens on Saturday, includes designs by Anderson himself as well as Vivienne Westwood, Helmut Lang and Yves Saint Laurent, plus works by sculptors Alberto Giacometti, Sarah Lucas and Louise Bourgeois.


Actor Brian Blessed will be joining music lovers on the toilet at this year's Glastonbury Festival.

Mr Blessed is the voice of one of three talking toilets in the Pyramid stage field to highlight the 2.3bn people who have no access to a basic toilet.
Actor Kathy Burke and musician Cerys Matthews will also voice "babbling bogs" to promote WaterAid's Toilets Save Lives campaign.
Around 175,000 people are expected to attend the festival from Wednesday.
WaterAid's Marcus Missen said: "Who hasn't wanted to listen to Brian Blessed while sitting on the bog?"
Billed as the "swankiest" and "best seats in the house", the talking toilets are among more than 5,000 loos being installed across Worthy Farm ahead of this year's festival.
They are being used by the stars to share the "huge problems of not having a toilet".
One of the talking toilets also has a "daunting two-way door" which appears see-through to the person inside but as a mirror to those on the outside.
A spokeswoman for WaterAid said it was designed to make the user feel "exposed" to highlight the one in three around the world who have "nowhere safe to go to the toilet".
"As they use the loo with a view, they'll have an epic view out to the Pyramid stage crowd," she said.
"Yet they'll also have to grapple with feeling visible to all outside, with their trousers down, whilst those waiting check their reflection."
Gates to the festival site open from 8:00 BST on Wednesday.
Acts scheduled to perform include Adele, Ellie Goulding, ZZ Top, Disclosure, Wolf Alice, Tame Impala, Beck, Stormzy, Madness and Foals.


Police officers who deliberately ran over and killed a dog on a dual carriageway caused almost £1,600 worth of damage to their car.

North Wales Police revealed under a Freedom of Information request the repair bill was £1,561.48.
The foxhound was loose on the A55 in Conwy county in February and North Wales Police said the "only safe option" was to run it over and kill it.
The matter has been referred to the police watchdog.
Traffic police drove at the animal on the dual carriageway between Llanfairfechan roundabout and the Conwy tunnel.
Police said the dog's owner was "devastated" but agreed officers had made the right decision.
Firearms officers were sent to the scene, but there were concerns they would not be able to get a safe shot at the dog, which had gone missing from a hunt.
Independent Police Complaints Commissioner Jan Williams said at the time: "We recognise the public concern arising from the incident where a dog was destroyed on the A55 earlier this week.
"After careful consideration of a referral from North Wales Police, we have determined that the force should continue with its own investigation."


Stevenage have signed striker Aaron O'Connor on a permanent contact from Forest Green and Oxford forward Pat Hoban on a one-month loan.

Swansea forward Ryan Hedges, 20, has also joined Boro on a one-month loan.
O'Connor, 32, scored nine goals in 20 league appearances for Rovers this season and joined Boro on an initial one-month loan in January.
He has appeared in all three matches since joining and signs on an undisclosed-length deal.
Hoban, 24, has scored five goals in 33 games this term.
Hedges, who scored two goals in 17 appearances while on loan at Leyton Orient last season, joins Boro on a youth loan.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Five people have been killed and nine wounded in an attack on a Shia gathering hall in eastern Saudi Arabia, the interior ministry says.

The killings, in Saihat in Eastern Province on Friday, come two days after the start of Ashura commemorations, a holy occasion for Shia Muslims.
A group claiming links to Islamic State (IS) said it carried out the attack.
The interior ministry said a gunman opened fire at random before police intervened and shot the attacker dead.
Later,  a group calling itself Islamic State-Bahrain State said that one of its "soldiers" had attacked "a Shia infidel temple" with an automatic weapon.
The group warned that "infidels will not be safe in the island of Mohammed".
Correspondents say the name of the group appears to be a reference to the historic area of Bahrain, which once encompassed parts of what is now Saudi Arabia.
Other, smaller attacks against the Shia community in the east of Saudi Arabia were also reported on Friday evening.
The Shia community in the kingdom is increasingly being targeted. Most live in the oil-rich east, and many complain of discrimination.
In May, IS said it had carried out a deadly bomb attack outside a Shia mosque in the city of Damman.
A week before, more than 20 people were killed in the village of al-Qadeeh when an IS suicide bomber struck during Friday prayers at a Shia mosque.
That attack was the first to be claimed by a Saudi branch of IS.
Hardline Sunnis regard Shia Muslims as heretics.
Saudi Arabia, which is part of a US-led coalition against IS in Syria and Iraq, has previously been threatened by IS.
The Saudis are also leading a coalition of Arab states in an air campaign against Shia rebels in Yemen.
In the Ashura commemorations, Shias mourn the death of Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad who is venerated by Saudi Arabia's minority Shia community.


A new species of mega-herbivore dinosaur discovered in Alberta, Canada, preserves incredible details of its skin, scales and spines.

The exquisite specimen is a type of amour-plated nodosaurid ankylosaur.
It was camouflaged which suggests that, despite its tank-like appearance, it hid to avoid predation.
That such a large creature needed camouflage indicates the presence of even larger, keen-eyed meat-eating theropod dinosaurs.
A new species of dinosaur named Borealopelta markmitchelli has been discovered from an oil sand mine in Alberta, Canada, and is described this week in Current Biology.
The dinosaur is a nodosaurid ankylosaur and is perhaps the best preserved of its type ever found, as Dr Jakob Vinther, University of Bristol, UK, who co-authored the study describes: "This dinosaur is so complete it looks like it's asleep and we would just need to gently cough to wake it up," he said.
This group of dinosaurs was stout, tank-like and heavily armoured. They walked on short-legs and their teeth indicate that they were herbivorous. The new specimen is 5.5m long, and weighed 1,300kg when alive.
Like other ankylosauria, the new specimen's body is covered in osteoderms - robust, bony, scale-like plates arranged in rows.
B. markmitchelli is remarkable because the osteoderms are covered by a keratin sheath, an organic layer that is usually lost in the fossilisation process. The skin of the creature is also preserved and can be seen between the gaps of the osteoderms.
The colour and the distribution of colour across the body reveal something surprising about the behaviour of the dinosaur and the ecosystem in which it lived.
The keratin sheath and skin on the upper surface of the dinosaur are much darker than on the lower surface, and the scientists suspected that this was the result of skin pigmentation. But chemical confirmation was needed to back-up this bold claim.
Using a type of mass spectrometry, called time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and gas pyrolysis, they were able to chemically analyse samples of the dark organic material from the keratin sheaths and the skin. This confirmed their suspicion - the pigment melanin was present.
Melanin occurs in many animals and is the pigment that allows our skin to tan in the sun. The most common type of melanin colours tissues black or brown. Another type - pheomelanin - makes a reddish colour, and the scientists found evidence of this type in the samples of B. markmitchelli.
B. markmitchelli is clearly countershaded - having a reddish-brown back and a pale belly.
Countershading is argued by the researchers to reveal quite a lot about what life was like for B. markmitchelli. As Jakob Vinther explains: "Colour patterns can be used for sexual display, thermoregulation, communication and many other reasons," he said.
"But, today, countershading is used for camouflage and we think that the new species had this type of pigment pattern to help it to hide from predators."
This is surprising given the armour plating and large size of the ankylosaurian.
In today's ecosystems the largest herbivores, such as elephants and rhino, are usually ignored by predators. It is the smaller, more vulnerable prey, such as antelope, that are selected by predators, and correspondingly, it is these creatures that are frequently countershaded to help them avoid detection by predators.
If antelope are discovered their back-up policy is the ability to run and fast.
Ankylosaurian dinosaurs could not run fast - but they were heavily armoured and this may have served as their second line of defence.
The upshot of this is that there must have been some extremely large, mean and visually acute predators around at this time.
These were likely to be theropod dinosaurs, but they have yet to be discovered in the area where the new specimen was found.
But there is a good candidate as described by Caleb Marshall Brown, lead author on the research: "The most likely predator is a creature called Acrocathosaurus - a 10m-long, 6-tonne, animal that looked superficially like Tyrannosaurus rex, but was not closely related to it."
B. markmitchelli is named in honour of the fossil preparator - Mark Mitchell - who spent over 7,000 hours skilfully revealing the fossil by removing, grain-by-grain, the iron-carbonate nodule which encased it.


Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw has said it is "nonsense" to claim that schools would be criticised by inspectors for being "too white".

It follows claims the demand for schools to promote "British values", in the wake of the Trojan Horse investigations, was punishing schools for a lack of multiculturalism.
"This is not about political correctness," said Sir Michael.
He was speaking as Ofsted published the findings of 35 no-warning inspections.
Ofsted's surprise inspections uncovered problems with poor teaching, inadequate governing bodies and failures to safeguard pupils against extremism in a wave of school inspections without warning.
This downgraded 23 schools, with 11 of these put into the inadequate category. Three of these had been judged as outstanding in previous inspections.
Ofsted says a number of these inadequate schools were "failing to teach respect for other faiths or developing pupils' awareness and knowledge of communities different from their own".
The wave of unannounced inspections, carried out in September, followed concerns from the Trojan Horse inquiries in Birmingham that if schools were given advance warning of inspections they could conceal unacceptable behaviour.
The Trojan Horse investigations, examining claims that schools were being targeted by groups with a hardline Muslim agenda, warned that some pupils did not know enough about other communities or other beliefs.
This prompted a requirement for schools to promote British values of mutual respect, tolerance and understanding of other cultures.
But this has proved problematic, with accusations that it is causing unintended consequences, including warnings from Christian and Jewish schools and schools which have a predominantly white intake.
Last week, there was high-profile coverage when a school in Lincolnshire, with few ethnic minority pupils, was not found to be outstanding because pupils lacked "first-hand experience of the diverse make-up of modern British society".
This was reported as a school being criticised as "too white".
There were claims that a Catholic school in Suffolk had been initially downgraded for not teaching their children enough about preventing radicalisation - but this was subsequently withdrawn.
A Church of England representative warned that tolerance and mutual respect would not be achieved through "an ever increasing inspection regime".
The National Association of Orthodox Jewish Schools warned that the "changing requirements" about British values were prompting "insensitive and inappropriate" questions during inspections.
But the Ofsted chief has dismissed such claims.
"Ofsted would never criticise or penalise a school just because of its intake or because children of one particular heritage or religion predominate over another," said Sir Michael.
"It's nonsense, for example, to suggest we would mark down a school for being "too white". We simply want to ensure children are receiving a good education and are being prepared for life in modern Britain."
This was not about "political correctness", said Sir Michael, but about "being realistic about the diverse society we now live in".
"It would be wrong for inspectors to only criticise certain types of schools and not others if we find they aren't doing enough to promote respect and tolerance of others and an understanding of the core values that bind us together as a nation."
Despite the findings from this wave of surprise inspections this will not become the standard approach.
The proposal for such no-notice inspections received fierce criticism from head teachers.
"Moving to no notice for routine inspections is unnecessary and would be counter-productive. It stifles creativity and treats professionals like naughty children," Brian Lightman, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union, had warned.
This group of inspections showed the logistical difficulties - in one school neither the head nor the chair of governors was available on the day when inspectors arrived without warning.
In October, Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw confirmed that schools would continue to be given a half day's notice for standard inspections.
Sir Michael said that there were existing powers for no-notice inspections where there was sufficient evidence for such an intervention.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Education said: "We want every school to promote the basic British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.
"This ensures young people understand the importance of respect and leave school ready to play their full part in British society.
"While the vast majority of schools successfully promote these values, we will not hesitate to step in when pupils are being let down."


Former Newcastle player Derek Bell says he wanted to kill the coach who sexually abused him during the 1970s.

Bell was groomed and abused by George Ormond between the ages of 12 and 16 while playing for the Montagu and North Fenham boys football club.
Ormond was jailed for six years in 2002 after being found guilty of a string of sexual assaults on young boys.
Bell says he went to Ormond's house in the late 1990s with "a 12-inch knife" but the ex-coach was not at home.
Ormond became involved in youth coaching at Newcastle United around this period before leaving the club, reportedly in October 1998.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live Daily, Bell said he was working for a housing department in Newcastle when he spotted Ormond in the grounds of a hostel.
This prompted him to go round to Ormond's house.
"I was going to kill the guy. I thought, 'no, I can't live any more, everywhere I seem to go he's there'," Bell said.
"This brought back all the memories to the forefront of my head, and I wanted to kill the guy.
"I went to his house with a 12-inch knife hidden in my pocket, and I kicked his door in. Luckily for him, that evening, he wasn't in."
Bell, who played for Newcastle in the early 1980s, says Ormond subjected him to "horrific, horrific" abuse on "hundreds" of occasions.
After going round to Ormond's house with a knife, Bell returned "a couple of days later" with a hidden tape recorder in an attempt to expose his crimes.
He added: "I just asked him the questions 'Why, why, why?' What was his motivation to find a need to constantly abuse me, threaten me, bribe me, befriend my family?
"And not one time did he say he was sorry. He just said 'I don't know why'. His main aim was 'you're not going to tell the police, are you?'"
Bell added that the effects of the abuse led him to attempt to take his own life on three occasions and be sectioned until the Mental Health Act.
"I've come forward to raise awareness and help victims who are coming forward," he said.
"I've been through the court system, I've been through different things, so if I can give people help and support... be brave, don't be ashamed."
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Dino Nocivelli, a child abuse solicitor at Bolt Burdon Kemp, told BBC sports editor Dan Roan that there could be large compensation payouts as a result of historical abuse claims from victims like Bell.
"A compensation claim is likely to be an important aspect for a lot of the survivors," said Nocivelli.
"Lots haven't had an admission from the sporting institutions, lots of them haven't had an appreciation of the damage to them as a person and we are not just talking about the physical and psychological abuse - it's the aggravating factor.
"In addition, they may need private psychiatric treatment and we do need to consider loss of earnings, because it's not just looking towards the past but also looking forward. The payouts in these cases could be huge."


Labour must be "radical" in providing an alternative to austerity, leadership candidate Yvette Cooper has said.

She also urged members "not to give up on your principles" in choosing Ed Miliband's successor.
Ms Cooper, Andy Burnham, Liz Kendall or Jeremy Corbyn will be the new leader following a vote next month.
Speaking in Connah's Quay, Flintshire, Ms Cooper said some party members wrongly believed  they must choose between their "head and their heart".
Over 70 people attended the meeting at Connah's Quay Labour Club on Friday.


A project to support young people with "poor access to the arts" is planned for the hometown of a ballet dancer killed hours before a performance.

Jonathan Ollivier died ahead of the final show of Matthew Bourne's production of The Car Man at London's Sadler's Wells Theatre on August 9.
Bourne's New Adventures company is now proposing a project for youngsters in Northampton as a "positive legacy".
A spokesman said it "wanted to create more stories like his" in the town.
Ollivier, 38, started dancing as a boy in Northampton and began his professional career at Cape Town City Ballet, also dancing for companies including the Northern Ballet Theatre and the Alberta Ballet Company in Canada.
He worked on a number of roles with New Adventures including The Swan in Swan Lake and, on his death, was described by Bourne as an "irreplaceable artist".
The proposal is being steered by Re:Bourne, the company's charitable-arm, which works with young people from all backgrounds and encourages those who may not have access to the arts to get involved with its work.
Director James Mackenzie-Blackman said he had met with the Ollivier family who were "really thrilled" the company wanted to initiate a project in his hometown.
"Jonny discovered dance unexpectedly - we want to create more stories like that in Northampton and if we can do that, it will be a very positive legacy," he said.
"It's in the very early stages but we hope to go into communities were there is either poor uptake of arts or difficulty accessing them.
"What's really struck us in the past week and a half is how many young dancers - especially male dancers - have been inspired to dance by Jonny. That's really touched us and we would like to see if we can replicate some of those values in his hometown."
The Ollivier family have set-up a fundraising page in memory of the dancer with all donations being split equally between Re:Bourne and the London Air Ambulance.


The Pretenders have been confirmed as the Friday night headliners at this August's Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival.

The punk/new wave band, which features American musician Chrissie Hynde, join other big name acts at the music event near Beauly in the Highlands.
Sister Sledge are Thursday night's headline performers and Franz Ferdinand will headline on Saturday night.
Belladrum will be held from 3 to 5 August.
Sister Sledge singer Joni Sledge died at the age of 60 in March.
The surviving members of the group recently issued a statement to say they would fulfil their tour dates.
Sister Sledge is best-known for the Grammy-nominated disco anthem We Are Family.
Also performing at Bella will be Scottish singer KT Tunstall, Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit, rock veterans Feeder, songwriter Birdy, Glaswegian noise-pop artists Honeyblood and musician William McCarthy.
Karine Polwart, Neon Waltz and Hot Dub Time Machine are also due to appear.


March's Assembly election is likely to cost £5m, Northern Ireland's outgoing chief electoral officer has said.

Graham Shields said he expected the figure to be roughly the same as last May's election, which cost £5m.
Work which would have allowed people to register to vote online has had to be put to the side because of the snap vote, he added.
He urged 60,000 people whose names have been removed from the register to reapply.
"Those 60,000 people were people who did not respond to the last canvass in the Autumn of 2013 and they were retained on the register for three years up until December 2016," he said.
"But by law they had to come off because we had not heard from them in the intervening period.
"It's very simple for those people or indeed anybody who is not on the register to get back on at this point.
"All they have to do is complete a fresh registration form and submit it to us.
"It's important that we hear from them by 14 February because that is the deadline for registering, and if anybody needs any information, please contact our offices or ring the helpline on 0800 4320712."
At present, online registration is not available but Mr Shields said this was something that was being worked on.
"Indeed had it not been for the election, it is very likely we would have been able to bring it in in the next month or so," he said.
"Regretfully that work has had to be put to the side until we see through the election but it is coming and it will come later this year but unfortunately not before the election."
Fresh Assembly elections were called on 16 January after the executive collapsed over the scandal surrounding the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), a botched green energy scheme.
Voters will go to the polls on Thursday 2 March.
Mr Shields said the short lead-up to the election meant it was a "very, very busy time in the office".
"A number of staff have given up long planned for holidays - some to the Bahamas and Florida - to make sure that they're available to work over the election period," he said.
"We all owe them a great deal of gratitude for doing that. They will be working weekends and evenings in the run-up to the election so it's all hands to the till here."
Virginia McVea, the former director of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, will take over as the new chief electoral officer on 1 February.
"I have been working with Virginia during the course of this month to bring her up to speed on what's happening and I will of course be available to her in the background to offer any assistance that I can until we get through the election," said Mr Shields.


Conservationists are to coat pieces of rubber with the scent of female moths as part of a survey of a rare species in the Cairngorms.

In the UK, the Kentish glory is only found in north east Scotland.
Their fast flight makes the species hard to identify so conservationists are to lure males to the "fake female", which will be placed on trees.
The Kentish glory is one of six of Scotland's rarest insects to be targeted in a new conservation project.
The others are the shining guest ant, dark bordered beauty moth, small scabious mining bee, northern silver-stiletto fly and pine hoverfly.
Small scabious mining bees can only be found in Scotland in the Cairngorms and feed exclusively on a plant known as devil's-bit scabious - so called because the roots come to an abrupt end "as if the devil had bitten them off".
Focused on the Cairngorms National Park, the new three-year conservation project involves RSPB Scotland, Cairngorms National Park Authority, Buglife, Butterfly Conservation and Scottish Natural Heritage.
Funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, the initiative will involve recruiting volunteers to help with survey work.
The surveys will help to establish the size and distribution of the species' populations, as well as guiding efforts to better protect them.
Gabrielle Flinn, of the Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms Project, said: "The Cairngorms National Park is well known for its iconic species such as the capercaillie and wildcat, but it's also the last refuge for some of Scotland's rarest insects.
"For the next three years the project will be working to conserve some of these rare species spread across the parks key habitats, from aspen woodland to flower rich grasslands.
"We'll be relying on people in and around the park to lend a hand, so if you're passionate about the smaller things in life we'd love to hear from you."


The privatisation of the UK's helicopter search and rescue (SAR) operation has been met with a mixed response around two of its current bases.

The US-based Bristow Group has won a 10-year, Â£1.6bn contract to run the service from 2015 - ending 70 years of RAF and Royal Naval operations.
For the South West of England, it means operations at Royal Marine Barracks (RMB) Chivenor will relocate to St Athan in Wales, and work at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose in Cornwall will move to Newquay Airport.
Bob Thompson, an Ilfracombe councillor who campaigned to keep 24-hour cover at Chivenor, said: "Losing Chivenor will be losing a major part of the fabric of our society in north Devon.
"We are so used to seeing the big yellow bird flying around the area, that it will be missed, but in terms of saving lives then perhaps helicopters being based in Wales will be better."
While the search and rescue element of Chivenor will go, the base and the rest of its operations will remain.
Nick Harvey, MP for north Devon and former defence minister, said: "I am very sorry to see the Search And Rescue personnel and their families leave.
"I am also sad to see the RAF and the Navy pulling out of this area of work, but I do understand their concern that it was using up their ever-scarcer resources.
"But with 24-hour services operating out of Cardiff and Newquay, I think we must accept that North Devon will be very much safer than the original proposal under the last government to downgrade us to daytime-only cover."
In Cornwall, search and rescue will move 34 miles (55km) down the road from RNAS Culdrose to Newquay Airport where the Cornwall Air Ambulance is already based.
Major Dave Fielder, from RNAS Culdrose, said: "This announcement wasn't a surprise, purely because we knew the Sea King was being withdrawn in 2016 and staff and personnel will be transferred to other roles.
"So it's business as usual but with subtle changes."
Airport managing director Al Titterington hailed the Department of Transport announcement on Tuesday as "very good news for the airport".
"The most important bit is we demonstrate the importance not just to connecting Cornwall for business and leisure, but we're now going to be part of national infrastructure," he said.
Andrew George, MP for West Cornwall, has his concerns and says the move has drawbacks for the forces. Royal Naval staff, he says, will be missing out on the "real life training experience" of operations now the service will be run privately.
But Captain Peter Morgan who has experienced both sides of the divide, having worked at RNAS Culdrose and Bristows, says the move is a "good thing".
"Bristows is a fine helicopter company, no one's better equipped to handle SAR work," he added.
"It's sad perhaps that the SAR outfit is going to move away from Culdrose and be based at Newquay, but sadness doesn't alter the fact that the service to the marine people, that need rescuing, is going to be just as well served."
Under the new contract, 22 helicopters will operate 24-hours a day from 10 locations around the UK which the government says "will be able reach a larger area of the UK search and rescue region within one hour".


The chairman of the City regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has said political considerations played no part in its decision to shelve an inquiry into the culture of banking.

John Griffith-Jones was asked at a Treasury Select Committee hearing whether the Treasury had leant on the FCA or undermined its independence.
He said that the "simple answer" was "no to both".
Acting chief executive Tracey McDermott said the suggestion was "nonsense".
Two senior FCA figures were speaking at a committee hearing called after it emerged that the inquiry, described as a "thematic review", had been scrapped.
The FCA had planned to look at whether pay, promotion or other incentives had contributed to scandals involving banks in the UK and abroad.
Ms McDermott told the committee the review had been shelved because "we didn't think that we would be able to put out something that was sufficiently useful or valuable to make it worthwhile spending resources and time on doing it".
She said the review would have duplicated other work carried out elsewhere, notably by the Banking Standards Board, which was "looking at precisely the same issue".
She said the FCA was now seeking to "build on work done by other bodies" and would be focusing on individual firms through regulatory supervision.
Banks around the world have faced huge fines from regulators for their involvement in numerous scandals.
In May last year, the news agency Reuters calculated that 20 global banks had paid Â£152bn in fines and compensation to customers since the 2008 financial crisis.


Birmingham City have decided against signing trialists Simeon Slavchev and Eddie Afonso.

Bulgaria midfielder Slavchev, 23, has returned to Sporting Lisbon, while defender Afonso, 23, has rejoined Angolan side Recreativo do Libolo.
Blues manager Harry Redknapp has made clear his desire to bolster his squad ahead of the new season on Saturday.
But both players failed to secure contracts following pre-season matches against Kidderminster and Oxford.
Birmingham, who have signed goalkeeper David Stockdale, defender Marc Roberts and midfielder Cheikh N'Doye this summer, begin their Championship campaign against Ipswich at Portman Road on 5 August.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Relics of some of the first stirrings of modern life may have been uncovered.

Scientists report in the journal Nature the discovery of centimetre-sized fossils they suggest are the earliest known examples of multicellular life.
The specimens, from Gabon, are 2.1 billion years old - 200 million years older than for any previous claim.
Abderrazak El Albani and colleagues describe the fossils' distinctive appearance as resembling irregularly shaped "wrinkly cookies".
The step from single-celled to multicellular organisation was a key step in the evolution of life on Earth and set the scene for the eventual emergence of all complex organisms, including animals and plants.
The big question is whether the new West African specimens truly represent large organisms growing in a co-ordinated manner, or are merely a record of the remains of aggregations of unicellular bacteria.
The team tells Nature that its analysis of the fossils' three-dimensional structure using X-ray microtomography leans it towards the former explanation.
The fossils would have existed during a period in Earth history that came shortly after the so-called Great Oxidation Event, when free oxygen concentrations in the atmosphere rose rapidly.
Another oxygen surge that occurred about half a billion years ago co-incided with the Cambrian Explosion - the huge spurt in evolution that established all the major animal groupings.
"The evolution of the Gabon macrofossils, representing an early step toward large-sized multicellularity, may have become possible by the first boost in oxygen," Dr El Albani and colleagues said in a statement, "whereas the Cambrian Explosion could have been fuelled by the second.
"Why it took 1.5 billion years for the multicellular organisms to take over is currently one of the great unsolved mysteries in the history of the biosphere."


Dundee-born writer and broadcaster Danny Wallace has been announced as one of three new official ambassadors for the city.

Fleur Darkin, artistic director of Scottish Dance Theatre, and Mike Stirling, head of Beano Studios Scotland, have also been appointed.
Mr Wallace, a columnist for GQ, is currently working with two US networks developing pilot scripts.
The 40-year-old said he was "very proud to be from Dundee."
He said: "I've lived in different cities and different countries, but once you're a Dundonian, you're always a Dundonian.
"It's a proud city, and a determined one, but Dundee doesn't take itself too seriously.
"It's the home of jam, jute and journalism, yes - but it's also the home of artists, designers and inventors.
"And it's a funny city. I'm very proud to have been asked to be an ambassador.
"Some people would be happy being asked to be ambassador to Barbados or Fiji - I'll take Dundee."
Dundee's existing ambassadors include Emmy award-winning actor Brian Cox and Deacon Blue frontman Ricky Ross.
Mike Stirling, who was previously editor-in-chief of the Beano, said: "This is a city where comics are taught as a subject at university.
"If that's not a signal of outstanding creativity, I don't know what is."
Fleur Darkin, who directs Scotland's national contemporary dance company from its base at Dundee Rep, said: "Our productions are Dundee made and then we export what we do to the rest of the world.
"Being based in Dundee is a blessing for us, because it's very easy to live and work here and there are good conditions for experimentation."


A female motorcyclist has been killed in a collision with a car in Perthshire.

The accident, which involved a Vauxhall Astra, happened at about 15:00 on the A85 at St Fillans.
The occupants of the car were uninjured.
The road was closed to allow an investigation into the accident. Police have appealed to the public for any information that could assist them with their inquiries.


David Moyes says he is ready to revive his managerial career after his ill-fated tenure at Manchester United.

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In his first broadcast interview since losing his job at Old Trafford in April, the former Everton boss, 51, told the BBC: "I am ready to return.
"I have enjoyed the time off but I have got to wait on the right job and make sure it's one that I want."
Moyes was sacked after less than 10 months in charge of United, following 11 successful years at Goodison Park.
The Scot believes he can repair his reputation and prove his critics wrong.
"I'm really ambitious," he said. "I would never have left Everton for anybody but an ambitious football club. And I thought Manchester United would have given me that opportunity.
"It didn't materialise that way, so I am hoping that the next club I join gives me the chance to build a team, because I think that is what I am good at.
"I also think that I am good at spotting and identifying young players, not only young players, but players.
"Over the years, we have brought in a lot of players at Everton and I think that they worked well. So if the opportunity came, then hopefully I will be able to make it work."
Moyes won widespread acclaim for consistently guiding Everton into the upper reaches of the Premier League on a limited budget, and led them to the qualifying stages of the Champions League in 2005.
But he presided over United's worst Premier League season having been chosen by Sir Alex Ferguson to succeed him after a trophy-laden reign.
He says he would prefer to return to English football but is open to working abroad.
"I've had several people contact me about jobs," he added. "None of them have turned round and said 'here is a job it's yours'.
"But people have asked me if I have had any interest in jobs. The clubs that have come calling, I just felt that they weren't right."
Moyes said he will "know when the right club comes along".
He added: "I needed a little bit of time just to make sure that I am ready, and I am feeling good to go back."
Moyes denied he would only entertain offers from clubs involved in European competition.
But he said he had enjoyed his Champions League experience with United, who reached the last eight under him before exiting to Bayern Munich.
"Getting to the quarter-final in the Champions League wasn't a bad feat," he said.
"I really enjoyed it - embraced it, actually loved the Champions League nights, and we did well.
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"We came up against Bayern Munich and we were a little bit unfortunate not to get ourselves through."
Moyes has spent the summer relaxing, attending coaching conferences, and travelling, and says he has now recovered from the bruising experience he endured at Old Trafford.
"It's the first time I've had off in about 30 years," said Moyes.
"I've been involved in football since I was a young boy. I've enjoyed doing things you don't get the opportunity to do when you're in the job.
"When you're in the job, you're full on all the time. I've played some great golf courses, enjoyed a bit of horse racing, spent a bit of time with the family so it's been good."
Moyes found out about his dismissal by United from the media after a series of poor results.
He remains bound by a confidentiality agreement in his severance deal, but the manner of his departure still hurts.
"I got the job and I expected it to be a six-year plan," he said. "I signed a six-year contract... disappointed it didn't go to plan. I expected to be given an opportunity to fulfil that and it wasn't what was expected.
"It was really difficult when I lost the job initially because I didn't really see it coming, even though I had been losing games.
"I knew that it could be difficult but I joined a club that I felt stood behind their managers, made sure they supported them in difficult times. And, you know, Sir Alex had difficult times when he first took over.
"And I do understand that the landscape has changed a little bit in football, but I think that United always stood for the right things and I expected them to do what was right with me."
United replaced Moyes with Louis van Gaal, who has won titles with Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AZ Alkmaar and coached Netherlands at this year's World Cup in Brazil.
The 63-year-old Dutchman has presided over a difficult start to the season, losing 4-0 to MK Dons in the Capital One Cup and 5-3 to newly-promoted Leicester City in the Premier League.
When asked what the reaction would have been had he been in charge of such losses, Moyes said: "I daren't imagine what would have been said about it.
"But Louis van Gaal has got a difficult job as well, just like I did when I took over at the job, and he needs to be given that opportunity to get his mark on the team, turn it around.
"He is a very experienced manager and he should be given that chance to do so."
You can watch the extended interview with David Moyes on BBC One's Football Focus from 12:10 BST on Saturday.


Zoologists say a skin-eating fungus threatens salamanders and newts across Europe, and probably arrived on pet amphibians imported from Asia.

It was discovered in the Netherlands in 2013 after wiping out all but 10 of the country's fire salamanders.
Now tests show that the fungus causes deadly skin diseases in many related species, but not those from Asia.
The findings, published in Science, suggest that the fungus coexisted with Asian salamanders for 30 million years.
Researchers from Imperial College and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) collaborated on the study with teams in the Netherlands and Belgium.
The parasitic fungus, called Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, is related to another fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) that causes a similar disease in frogs and other amphibians, mostly in the tropics.
According to the new study, the recently discovered "B. sal" does not affect frogs or toads but kills a wide variety of salamanders.
It rapidly invades and eats an animal's skin, which is crucial to its survival because it helps it to breathe.
"Most of the salamander species that come into contact with this fungus die within weeks," said lead author Prof An Martel from Ghent University, Belgium.
"There appear to be no real barriers that prevent the spread of the fungus throughout Europe."
Prof Martel and her team screened more than 5,000 amphibians from 35 different species, across four continents.
The results pointed the finger squarely at Asia as the most likely source.
"It's extremely lethal to most of the European salamanders that we tested, but it doesn't seem to cause serious disease in any of the Asian species," said Dr Trent Garner from ZSL's Institute of Zoology.
"The best explanation we have right now is this fungus originally arose in Asia."
Based on the evolutionary history of the group of Asian salamanders that can carry the fungus but survive, the team estimated that this branch of the family has lived with the fungus since the Palaeogene period, 30 million years ago.
They even detected the fungus in a museum specimen of an Asian newt dating from before 1870.
Since several species of Asian newts and salamanders are popular pets in Europe and the US, the animal trade seemed a likely explanation for the fungus turning up in Belgium.
To test this idea, the researchers also examined more than 2,000 skin samples from animals in museums and in pet shops around Europe, including Heathrow Airport, and at an export business in Hong Kong.
The pet shop samples were clean, but three specimens kept in European museums were infected - and had been imported from Asia in 2010.
This makes imported animals by far the most probable source. And although the pet shop samples in the study were fungus-free, this trade remains a likely explanation for the European outbreak because of the high numbers of amphibians that are imported to live in aquariums.
A particularly likely culprit is the Chinese fire-bellied newt, Cynops orientalis, which is such a common pet worldwide that 2.3 million arrived in the US between 2001 and 2009.
Dr Garner was keen to defend the newts themselves.
"Let's not call it a villain," he told the BBC. "They're not jumping onto aeroplanes of their own volition. Let's call it the poor, trafficked amphibian."
He emphasised that the invasion could be controlled by careful management.
"We've got to work towards controlling pathogens in the wildlife pet trade," Dr Garner said.
"Moving animals around moves their pathogens with them. Quite often in new situations, these pathogens have the weapons to overwhelm local hosts that haven't been exposed."
He also said efforts could be made to tackle the fungus in the wild.
"It's no longer a matter of populations just going down - we're actually seeing species being eliminated by new infectious diseases.
"I personally think that we can develop these mitigation techniques - we do it for livestock and we do it for humans."
Dr Garner has encountered widespread public interest in these issues in the UK.
"We've had ranavirus causing common frogs to die in the UK for 20 years. We're constantly hearing from people walking out and finding dead frogs in ponds in their own backyards. People are in tears!
"The British public really does care."
Although the "B. sal" fungus has not yet been found in the wild outside Belgium and the Netherlands, the researchers have said it is likely to spread further, because the animals pass it on when they touch each other.
The great crested newt, a protected species in the UK, is among the animals for whom the virus is fatal.
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Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood has become a father again at the age of 68.

His wife Sally, who is 38, gave birth to twin girls late on Monday evening, Wood's publicist confirmed.
A statement said: "Ronnie & Sally Wood are delighted to announce the birth of their twins Gracie Jane (6lb) & Alice Rose (5.7lb).
"The girls arrived on 30 May at 22:30 and all are doing brilliantly. The babies are perfect."
The twins are Wood's fifth and sixth children, but the first for him and his wife, who is a theatre producer.
Wood has four children already - Jesse Wood with his first wife, former model Krissy Wood, daughter Leah and son Tyrone from his second marriage to Jo, and Jamie - Jo's son from a previous marriage whom Wood adopted.
The musician dated Sally Humphreys, as she was then known, for six months before they got married at London's Dorchester Hotel, with Rod Stewart as Wood's best man, in 2012.
The couple first met while she was working at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, where Wood was displaying some of his artwork.


Lee Selby insists he has no regrets about his decision to sign with American promoter Al Haymon.

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The Welsh boxer has only fought twice since winning the IBF featherweight title in May 2015, prompting criticism from his British promoter Eddie Hearn.
Selby, 29, defends his IBF featherweight title against Jonathan Victor Barros in Las Vegas on 28 January.
Asked if he would change anything, Selby said: "I don't think so, no."
Speaking to BBC Wales Sport, he added: "Al Haymon has got all the big fighters. I want the big fights, so that was the best move for me.
"With tough competition, you've got to rise to it, and to be the best you've got to beat the best.
"You've got Gary Russell Jr, the WBC champion, Carl Frampton, Abner Mares - and they are all advised by Al Haymon. I'm advised by Al Haymon so they are easy fights to make. "
Selby's fight against Barros is on the undercard of WBA champion Frampton's rematch with Leo Santa Cruz at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Arena.
Selby is eager to fight the winner of that bout, and the man from Barry in south Wales is confident his recent inactivity will have no detrimental effect.
"For some fighters it can affect them," he said. "They box, they go out, they celebrate, they end up drinking and eating loads of bad food.
"But with me, I'm straight back in the gym, working and trying to improve myself. I've been sparring, so inactivity shouldn't really affect me.
"My focus is on Jonathan Barros - he's a dangerous fighter. But say I come through that fight OK, I want to fight the winner of Santa Cruz and Carl Frampton."
Northern Ireland's Frampton has suggested Belfast's Windsor Park as a venue for a potential fight with Selby, who is open to the idea.
However, the Welshman would ultimately like to face Frampton at Cardiff's 74,500-capacity Principality Stadium.
"It is a super-fight, it's a natural fight," he said. "That is part of the reason why I am on the card so the fans can compare us and it is a natural fight for both of us.
"Ideally I'd like it in the Millennium [Principality] Stadium. I think we'll do great numbers there.
"They haven't had boxing there since Joe Calzaghe. That was a few years back but at the same time I'm happy to go to Belfast and defend my title over there."
Find out how to get into boxing with our special guide.


Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo sprung a surprise by comfortably heading the Mercedes drivers in second practice for the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Australian finished 0.606 seconds quicker than Lewis Hamilton, who earlier set the pace in first practice.
Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate and championship leader Nico Rosberg was third, a further 0.293secs adrift.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen was fourth, ahead of the Toro Rossos of Daniil Kvyat and Carlos Sainz.
Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race are live on the BBC sport website and radio 5 live.
The fastest Ferrari was only seventh, in Kimi Raikkonen's hands, ahead of the Force India of Sergio Perez.
Sebastian Vettel was only 14th when he spun at Mirabeau corner, hitting the barrier and damaging the rear wing of his Ferrari.
He later jumped up to ninth only to slide into the barrier at Ste Devote on his very next lap, although he got away without any damage.
Manor's Rio Haryanto was the only other man to crash in a session punctuated by drivers locking wheels and running wide at the first corner and chicane.
The Indonesian, whose long-term future at the team is in doubt over sponsorship concerns, lost control over the crest after the tunnel, spinning into the outside barrier, rebounding into the inside barrier and coming to rest in the escape road. He was unhurt.
Red Bull had been expected to feature close to the front in Monaco, especially as Ricciardo is using one of only two existing versions of an upgraded Renault engine which have been rushed forward to an early debut for this race.
But the size of his margin to Mercedes was surprising - and the engine did not account for anything like the 0.964secs gap between Ricciardo and Verstappen, who won the last race in Spain.
The new engine is said to be worth up to 0.5secs a lap on a more normal circuit, but only 0.2secs around Monaco, where power has less of an effect on lap time than anywhere else.
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Red Bull's pace appeared genuine - Ricciardo was also the quickest driver on the race-simulation runs during the second part of the session, by a little over 0.1secs a lap on average from Rosberg.
But Mercedes always find extra pace on Saturdays and still must be considered strong favourites for the weekend.
Meanwhile, the McLarens' pace was disappointing after they came into the weekend predicting both drivers would be in contention for the top 10 on the grid and behind only Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari.
Jenson Button was 10th, 1.718secs off the pace, and team-mate Fernando Alonso 0.4secs adrift in 11th place after not setting a representative lap on the fastest 'ultra-soft' tyre.
Practice results
Monaco Grand Prix coverage details


Leanne Wood has said she expects Plaid Cymru to make "significant advances" at May's local elections, after "ups and downs" during her five years as leader.

Ms Wood took the reins in March 2012 and led the party through council, assembly, Westminster and EU elections.
She hopes to build on her own dramatic victory over Labour in Rhondda at the 2016 assembly election.
But Plaid has failed to win more Westminster or European seats, and lost councillors in the 2012 local polls.
There are four councils in Wales led by the party: Ceredigion, Gwynedd, Carmarthenshire and Conwy.
Speaking at the launch of Plaid's local election campaign, at Rhondda Heritage Park, she said: "I would have liked to have seen better results in the UK election.
"We came within 200 votes of winning a fourth MP and we had a great result in the Ynys Mon by election.
"I think there has been a full term now of elections since I've been the leader of Plaid Cymru.
"It's five years since I've been the leader of this party. It's had its ups and downs I suppose we could say, but I think these local council elections are the ones where we will see some significant advances for the party."
On Tuesday, Ms Wood's group of AMs restored the whip to one of its members - Neil McEvoy, who is also a councillor in Cardiff.
Mr McEvoy was suspended from the group after he was found by a tribunal to have directed a bullying remark at a council official - however he remains under the month-long suspension from Cardiff council that the tribunal imposed.
Asked if she was happy with the situation, Ms Wood said: "Well look, none of us are going to be happy with a situation where a member of a Plaid Cymru group has been suspended. I'm not going to celebrate that.
"But we've moved on from there now.
"An apology has been issued and we are a functioning group and we will be working with our candidates at local community level to try to get the best possible local election results on May the fourth."


More than 100 people remain missing after a huge landslide buried homes in a village in Sichuan province, south-western China.

A couple and a baby were rescued and taken to hospital on Saturday but hopes of finding more survivors are fading.
The bodies of fifteen people have so far been recovered, but many more are feared trapped beneath the rubble.
Thousands of rescuers were deployed after some 40 homes were destroyed in Xinmo village in Maoxian county.
Emergency workers have been digging through earth and rocks for a second day, with rescue dogs scouring the debris for some 118 people who remain unaccounted for.
One of those rescued, Qiao Dashuai, told state broadcaster CCTV that his baby had woken him and his partner in the early hours, adding that when the couple opened the door of their home they were swept away by water. He said his parents and other relatives were still missing.
Heavy rain is thought to have triggered the landslide, causing the top section of a mountain to loosen, sending boulders and rocks crashing down onto the village below at about 06:00 local time on Saturday (22:00 GMT on Friday).
Chinese President Xi Jinping later urged the emergency services to "spare no effort".
More than 3,000 rescuers have been working in the area, using ropes to move large rocks in the frantic search for villagers.
But geological experts at the site on Sunday said that the chance of finding survivors was becoming "really slim", China's Xinhua news agency reports.
The landslide blocked a 2km (1.2-mile) stretch of a river, the news agency added. Local police said a lack of vegetation in the area had made the landslide worse.
Local officials said some 8m cubic metres (282m cubic ft) of rock had been dislodged and roads had been closed to all traffic except emergency services.
Landslides are a regular danger in mountainous regions of China, especially during heavy rains.
In 2008, 87,000 people were killed when an earthquake struck Wenchuan county in Sichuan province. In Maoxian county itself, 37 tourists were killed when their coach was buried in a landslide caused by the 2008 earthquake.


A new high-speed Intercity train developed at a County Durham factory has rolled off the production line.

Hitachi Rail Europe's Newton Aycliffe plant opened in 2015 after the company won a Â£5.7bn contract to supply express trains for the East Coast and Great Western main lines.
It will fit out 110 high-speed trains, which are manufactured in Japan.
Transport secretary Chris Grayling and the Japanese ambassador to the UK were among those present at the launch.
The trains are capable of running at 140mph, but will be limited to 125mph unless rail tracks are upgraded.
Karen Boswell, managing director of Hitachi Rail Europe, said: "Today is a celebration of the return of train manufacturing to the north east, supporting thousands of jobs and developing a strong engineering skills base in the region.
"Trains running across the country's rail network will be built by a proud workforce harnessing the best of Hitachi's long-standing rail expertise."


Chelsea defender Gary Cahill says Jose Mourinho has the full support of the players to turn things around.

The Blues have made a disappointing start to their Premier League title defence, having won just two of their first eight games.
Mourinho has been backed by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and Cahill says the players are also behind him.
"We are all around him," Cahill, who will captain England against Estonia on Friday, told BBC Radio 5 live.
"Dare I say he doesn't even need backing when you have done so much in the game, not just at Chelsea but in other leagues too.
"It is obviously nice to have that and he certainly has it from the players and the club."
This has been Chelsea's worst start to a top-flight season since 1978-79, and last Saturday's 3-1 defeat at home to Southampton was their fifth loss of the season.
"The Southampton game for me personally was a real low," added Cahill, who will take over as captain from the injured Wayne Rooney for England's final two Euro 2016 qualifiers against Estonia and Lithuania.
"I have come away here totally determined to make it right when I get back."


A council which lost a High Court case over fining a father who took his daughter on a term-time holiday is having its appeal heard at the Supreme Court.

Isle of Wight Council tried to fine Jon Platt Â£120 for taking his daughter to Florida during the school term.
But magistrates backed the father, so the council appealed to the High Court, which again ruled in Mr Platt's favour.
The Department for Education is meeting the council's legal costs.
The legal case rests on what constitutes "regular attendance".
Mr Platt has argued that even after the "once-in-a-lifetime" family trip to Disneyland, his daughter had 90% attendance at school and this argument was accepted by the High Court in May last year.
At the time Lord Justice Lloyd Jones said the case "raised a point of law of general public importance".
After losing the case the council, at the request of Schools Minister Nick Gibb, applied to the Supreme Court for permission to launch a final legal challenge.
New guidelines came into force in England in 2013 making the policy on unauthorised term-time absences the toughest in the UK.
The change followed concerns that some families had started to see going away in term-time as an entitlement.
Under the rules, if a school declares an absence unauthorised, the council can fine each parent Â£60 per child - and this doubles to Â£120 if not paid within 21 days.
Councils in England have varying policies on term-time holiday fines.  Some issue thousands of fines - others barely any.
The case is forcing many to look again at the detail.
Most parents simply pay the fines to avoid prosecution, but  Mr Platt says thousands have contacted him for advice on fighting the fines.
Many parents complain that the cost of going away in the school holidays can be four times as much as during term-time - but the government says there is clear evidence "that every extra day of school missed can affect a pupil's chance of gaining good GCSEs, which has a lasting effect on their life chances".
A DfE spokeswoman said the government's position remained that children should not be taken out of school "without good reason".
"That is why we have tightened the rules and are supporting schools and local authorities to use their powers to tackle unauthorised absence."
Ministers are also considering changing the law on term-time absences, depending on the outcome of the case.
Judgement is expected during the first part of 2017.