Some 9.3 million people in Syria - or about 40% of the population - now need outside assistance, UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos has said.

This figure has risen by 2.5m from the 6.8m total the UN gave in September.
The Syria crisis "continues to deteriorate rapidly and inexorably", Ms Amos told the UN Security Council.
Meanwhile, UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is due to hold talks with US and Russian diplomats aimed at paving the way for a Syria peace conference.
In Geneva, Mr Brahimi will also meet representatives from the rest of the UN Security Council and Syria's neighbours ahead of the conference planned for later this month.
The Syrian government and opposition groups disagree over how the formal negotiations should be structured: the opposition demands that President Bashar al-Assad should resign, while Damascus says there should be no pre-conditions.
In a separate development, Damascus announced a nationwide vaccination campaign to immunise every Syrian child against polio, measles, mumps and rubella, even in rebel-held territories.
This comes weeks after cases of polio were confirmed in the country for the first time in 14 years.
Baroness Amos said the UN Security Council "should put its full political weight with both the regime and opposition parties" to ensure access for humanitarian workers.
Interactive: Tent city now home to 130,000
The baroness "continues to press the council for their help and influence over those parties who can ensure the protection of civilians and civilian facilities; the safe passage of medical personnel and supplies; the safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance," her spokeswoman Amanda Pitt said.
More than half of those in need are people living in Syria displaced by conflict, a total of 6.5m, up from 4.25m internally displaced people in June.
Last month, the UN Security Council expressed alarm at the "rapid deterioration" of the humanitarian situation in Syria and demanded immediate access for aid.
It followed a resolution on eliminating Syria's chemical weapons.
The UN says the number of those needing help has risen by more than 30% from 6.8 million in September.  Syria has a population of 23 million.
There are more than 2.5 million people in isolated or besieged areas of Syria, many of whom are living without adequate food or electricity or access to medical supplies.
Source: UNHCR/AFAD - Oct-Nov 2013
Aid agencies complain that the Syrian government has hindered access to visas and tried to limit the number of foreign groups operating in the country.
Neighbouring countries such as Jordan are warning that they cannot cope with the influx of refugees crossing from Syria.
The UN estimates that more than 2m people have fled Syria since the unrest began in March 2011 resulting in a humanitarian crisis.
Most have sought refuge in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt.
More than 100,000 people are estimated to have been killed since the conflict began.


Belfast Harbour handled a record 23m tonnes of cargo in 2014, up 1.6% on 2013.

The performance is 46% above the low point of the recession in 2009.
Trade sectors which grew well in 2014 included stone exports which were up 18% and steel which was up 38%.
The level of new car imports also rose by 10% to 48,000, its highest level since 2007.
Roy Adair, Belfast Harbour's chief executive, said that surpassing 23m tonnes was "a major achievement" driven by an ongoing investment programme.
He said the performance had also been supported by major investments from customers such as Stena Line which has introduced a third ship to its Belfast - Liverpool service.
Mr Adair said the increased activity reflected a pick-up in the economy across the island of Ireland.
"Increased steel imports, for example, reflects greater manufacturing activity, especially in the Republic of Ireland, while the improvement in freight, containers and new car imports suggests a modest pick-up in consumer confidence," he said.
The amount of cement moving through the port increased fivefold to 79,000 tonnes.
However, total cement tonnages remain less than one third of pre-recession levels, reflecting the continuing depression in the construction industry.
Ferry passenger numbers remained steady during 2014 at 1.4m while cruise passengers calling at Belfast increased by 23% to a record 112,000.


Oliver Burke scored twice as Scotland Under-20s lost to the Czech Republic in their opening match at the Toulon Tournament in France.

Captain Burke slid home the Scots' opener but Ondrej Chveja levelled before the break.
Ondrej Sasinka put the Czechs in front early in the second half at the Stade d'Honneur.
Burke converted a penalty after Ondrej Lingr's handball but Martin Graiciar netted the winner.
Scot Gemmill's Scots next play Brazil in Group C on Saturday and then face Indonesia on Tuesday.
The three group winners and best runner-up will progress to the semi-finals.
RB Leipzig winger Burke and Scott Wright, who started in attack in France, were late call-ups to Gemmill's squad along with Sam Wardrop after Greg Kiltie and Theo Archibald dropped out.
Burke, 20, won his fifth Scotland senior cap in March's 1-1 draw with Canada, but was not called up for the 10 June World Cup qualifier against England.
Scotland: Jack Ruddy, Anthony Ralston, Alex Iacovitti, Zak Jules, Greg Taylor, Joe Thomson, Ruben Sammut, Kyle Magennis, Aidan Nesbitt,  Scott Wright, Oliver Burke. Subs: Ross Doohan, Jamie McCart, Ross McCrorie, Iain Wilson, Jordan Holsgrove, Ryan Hardie, Craig Wighton, Adam Frizzell.


Sam Sunderland became the first British competitor to win the Dakar Rally when he took victory in the motorbikes classification on Saturday.

The 27-year-old came home 32 minutes ahead of nearest competitor Matthias Walkner of Austria after the final stage in Argentina.
The KTM rider, who is based in Dubai, took the lead after stage five of 12.
The 38th edition of the rally began in Asuncion, Paraguay and ran through Bolivia and Argentina.
In 2014, Sunderland became the first British rider to win a stage of Dakar since John Deacon in 1998.
This was his third attempt at winning the rally, having been forced to retire in 2012 and 2014 with mechanical problems. The 2016 winner, Toby Price of Australia, pulled out of this year's race during the fourth stage.
"When I crossed the line I felt all the emotion hit me. The weight on my shoulders of the race over the last week, leading the rally, has been really heavy," said Sunderland.
"It's been difficult, especially in some of the moments with navigation mistakes or when things get stressful, to stay calm. But we're here, we did it, and I couldn't be any happier.''
Sunderland secured victory after safely navigating the final special stage, a 40-mile race into the Argentine town of Rio Cuarto.
It is the 16th year in a row that KTM have won the motorbike title.
French driver Stephane Peterhansel held off the challenge of compatriot Sebastien Loeb to win his seventh cars title. He has also won the bikes title six times.


Teenage pregnancy prevention programmes which use "magic dolls" to simulate the needs of a new baby do not work, according to a study in The Lancet.

More than 1,000 teenage girls who took part in programmes in Western Australia were more likely to become pregnant than girls who did not take part, researchers found.
The baby simulator cries when it needs to be fed, burped or changed.
Similar programmes are used in schools in 89 countries, including the US.
Girls enrolled in the Virtual Infant Parenting programme in more than 50 schools in Western Australia were taught about sexual health, contraception and the financial costs of having a baby.
The programme also included watching a video of teenage mothers talking about their experiences and caring for a lifelike model of a baby over the weekend.
But when the girls were tracked up to the age of 20, 8% had given birth at least once and 9% had had an abortion.
This compared to a figure of 4% giving birth among girls who did not take part in the baby simulator programme and 6% having an abortion.
These are the conclusions of Julie Quinlivan, from the Institute for Health Research, University of Notre Dame Australia, writing about the results of the study in The Lancet.
She said prevention programmes needed to start when children were much younger, even in infancy, and the focus should be on educating vulnerable children from deprived backgrounds who, research shows, are more likely to become parents at a premature age.
The FPA (formerly Family Planning Association) and sexual health charity Brook said "dolls" were not routinely used in the UK as part of teenage pregnancy prevention programmes.
Neither organisation thought they were a particularly useful tool because the dolls just could not show young people the reality of how much hard work and commitment was involved in being a parent.
Targeted education programmes and easier access to contraception have played a huge part in bringing down teenage pregnancy rates in England Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland since the late 90s.
Between 1998 and 2013 there was a fall of 48% in conception rates amongst under-18s from 47.1 per 1,000 to 24.5 per 1,000.
Some say a change in teenage behaviour - less drinking by teenagers leading to less unprotected sex - has also helped to reduce teenage pregnancies.
And the rise in popularity of socialising online may also have had an impact.
But sex education is not compulsory in all schools which means not all pupils receive the same access to information and not all areas of the country offer the same sexual health services.
The FPA says maintaining the downward trend could prove a challenge without more funding.
Despite success in recent years, the UK still sits near the top of the European league table of teenage birth rates.
In contrast, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland have among the lowest teenage conception rates of all developed countries - roughly one-fifth of that in the United Kingdom.
The United States has had the highest teenage birth rate in the developed world for a long time, although it has been falling almost continuously over the past 20 years.


Online ticket fraud revenue rose by 55% in a year - driven by scams targeting fans of Premier League football and the Rugby Union World Cup.

The amount lost to online ticket fraud rose to Â£5.2m in the year to the end of October compared with Â£3.35m a year earlier, police said.
Major events, such as the Rugby Union World Cup, which was hosted by England, led to the rise in cases, they said.
Fans aged in their 20s are most likely to buy fake or bogus tickets online.
Police raised concerns that the "tech-savvy" generation were the hardest hit by ticket fraud, although those aged in their 20s are also likely to be financially-pressed and looking for a bargain.
"If this group is falling victim, it suggests that the fraudulent ticket sellers are very convincing and have the ability to exploit just about every type of internet user," said Chris Greany, of the City of London Police.
The figures, from the City of London Police National Fraud Intelligence Bureau and awareness group Get Safe Online, suggest that fans of the Rugby Union World Cup and Premier League football were targeted in more than a quarter of ticket scam cases.
Ticket scams relating to gigs and music festivals were next on the list, accounting for 15% of cases.
Tony Neate, of Get Safe Online, urged sports fans and festival goers to do their homework before buying tickets to popular events online.
"Criminals are clever and often use pre-existing websites or fan forums to help them appear legitimate, or in fact mimic genuine websites to help them dupe their victims into handing over money," he said.


In the aftermath of a bruising, exhausting and above all lengthy campaign, much has been made of "the vow".

On Tuesday 16 September, two days before the referendum, the three UK party leaders joined forces on the front of a Scottish tabloid newspaper.
With the polls suggesting the race was neck and neck, David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg personally pledged that a "No" vote would deliver "faster, safer and better change" than would independence.
"Extensive new powers for the parliament will be delivered by the process and to the timetable agreed and announced by our three parties," they wrote.
The parchment-style front page seemed to suggest ink rather than blood but the idea was the same.
"This is solemn," it said. "You can trust us."
So what of "the vow" now?
It was certainly carefully worded. The pro-UK parties had indeed agreed, at the eleventh hour, on "a process" and "a timetable" to deliver extra powers.
But they had not agreed, and still do not agree, on the powers themselves.
The man charged with turning the heat of disagreement into the light of a deal is Lord Smith of Kelvin.
Some job.
The Smith Commission will bring together the Scottish Labour Party, the Scottish Liberal Democrats, and the Scottish Conservatives from one side of the Yes/No divide, with the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Scottish Green Party on the other.
Senior SNP figures say they will use the process to argue for a radical redesign of the UK, in which a powerful federal Scotland has complete control over tax and spending with only defence and foreign affairs reserved to Westminster.
The SNP, in the form of its leader-in-waiting Nicola Sturgeon, is already arguing that the language deployed in and around "the vow" was "something close to federalism or home rule."
"This took it beyond the detail of what the parties had previously offered," she was quoted as saying, adding: "People are not going to be easily bought off by a few more powers."
The 45% who voted for independence along with a substantial proportion of the 55% who didn't because they were convinced by "the vow", add up to make a powerful majority for big change, reasons the SNP.
Labour, which appeared happy enough at the time of the Daily Record article to give the impression that something new was on offer, is now busy briefing that "the vow" did nothing more than re-state the party's commitment to implement the proposals contained in its Devolution Commission report published in March 2014.
Of the three UK party commissions published before the vote, Labour's was the longest - at 298 pages - but also the most cautious, rejecting a "strong case" in an interim version of the report for the complete devolution of personal income tax.
Instead it recommended a complicated arrangement which would have the effect of allowing the Scottish Parliament to increase but not cut the top rate of tax.
The report also said the "core of the welfare state" should remain under Westminster control, as should various taxes including air passenger duty.
Attendance allowance and housing benefit should be devolved, allowing MSPs to abolish the spare room subsidy or "bedroom tax", and Holyrood should also have control of the Scotrail franchise, administration of the work programme, which provides support and training, and the operation of the Crown Estate, which looks after seabed development.
Labour's problem is that the other four parties in the room with Lord Smith all want to go further, in some cases much further.
The Liberal Democrats hope to fulfil their old dream of "home rule all round" or in other words, a federal UK.
This would involve the devolution of significant powers both to Holyrood and to local councils with the exception of foreign affairs, defence, the currency, immigration, trade and competition, pensions and welfare and macro-economic policy, all of which would be controlled by the federal government.
The UK single market for business would be preserved but income tax paid by Scottish taxpayers would be "almost entirely the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament," with the exception that allowances, reliefs and the threshold at which income starts to be taxed would remain the same across the UK.
Scottish rates of capital gains tax, inheritance tax and air passenger duty should be set in Edinburgh, say the Lib Dems.
Corporation tax should not be devolved although its proceeds raised in Scotland should be allocated to the Scottish Parliament's budget.
Responsibility for national insurance, pensions and most benefits should rest at federal level.
The report of the Home Rule and Community Rule Commission, chaired by a former party leader Sir Menzies Campbell, and published in October 2012, skipped lightly over the high hurdle of how to build a federation when the vast majority of taxes are raised in one of its four constituent parts.
Sir Menzies' report suggested that Scotland could lead the way, embracing home rule first, with full federalism following when the position of England was sorted out.
It gives a new twist to an old Lib Dem joke.
What do we want?
Constitutional reform in the shape of home rule leading to a federal UK!
When do we want it?
In due course!
Even the Conservatives, for so long staunch opponents of devolution, have gone further than Labour, proposing that Holyrood takes overall control of personal income tax including the ability to set rates and bands.
Lord Strathclyde's Commission on the Future Governance of Scotland rejected the transfer to Holyrood of national insurance, corporation tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, pensions and most benefits.
But it recommended housing benefit and attendance allowance be devolved, along with air passenger duty and "smaller taxes and duties" if Scottish ministers should want them.
Lord Strathclyde said he would have gone further, recommending the devolution of VAT were it not prohibited by EU law which prevents sales tax variation within member states.
Instead he suggests a share of VAT receipts raised in Scotland should be allocated to the Scottish Parliament.
All of which leaves the Labour leader Ed Miliband in a pickle.
If his party resists moves towards more radical constitutional change and is blamed for any perceived failure of the Smith Commission, the SNP and others will seek to punish the party electorally, both in the general election of 2015 and the Holyrood election the following year.
A "Yes" vote in its heartlands, including Glasgow, has already shaken Scottish Labour, with talk of a challenge to Johann Lamont's leadership and worries about rocketing membership figures for the SNP, Scottish Socialist Party and the Greens.
The worry for Labour is that it is has been tarnished in the minds of Scots sympathetic to the independence cause, whether "Yes" or "No" voters, because of its apparent alliance with big business, big banks, big media and, above all, the "big, bad Tories".
Ms Lamont insists this is nonsense, saying the two parties disagree on most things but "I did agree that Scotland should stay in the UK".
On the other hand, if Labour signs up to the devolution of significant extra powers to Scotland, the demands from England for a solution to the West Lothian Question - Scottish MPs voting on English issues like health and education, when English MPs can't vote on such devolved Scottish issues - will become harder to ignore.
For a party with such solid support in Scotland for so long, excluding the big block of Labour MPs from north of the border from key commons votes on domestic English legislation could be problematic.
While the subject is more complicated than it first appears, it is a challenge for Mr Miliband to present his rejection of David Cameron's siren call for English votes on English issues as principled rather than self-interested.
Labour insist they can deliver meaningful change for Scotland within the existing framework.
Either way, the issue is a thorny one for Mr Miliband and - one way or the other - may make it harder for him to gain or retain the keys to Downing Street.
The referendum is already history.
But this is not over yet. Not by a long way.


Wales international Tyson Frizell has been included in Australia's squad for the Four Nations.

The St George Illawarra second row has made five appearances for Wales and featured in the 2011 Four Nations and 2013 World Cup.
Born in Wollongong, Australia, the 24-year-old qualifies to play for Wales through his Swansea-born father.
Frizell can continue to represent Wales as they are a tier two nation and Australia are tier one.
Players for tier two nations - teams ranked fourth to 10th in the world - can also compete, where eligible, for one of the big three nations, Australia, England and New Zealand.
Frizell was left out of the Wales squad for the 2017 World Cup qualifiers with Serbia and Italy in October, after telling coaching staff he was unavailable for selection.
He is one of seven new names in the Kangaroos squad, who face Scotland in their opening game at Hull KR's Lightstream Stadium on 28 October.
Australia squad: Cameron Smith (captain), Darius Boyd, Shannon Boyd, Boyd Cordner, Cooper Cronk, Josh Dugan, Blake Ferguson, Jake Friend, Tyson Frizell, Matt Gillett, Valentine Holmes, Greg Inglis, David Klemmer, James Maloney, Josh Mansour, Trent Merrin, Michael Morgan, Matt Moylan, Justin O'Neill, Josh Papalii, Matt Scott, Sam Thaiday, Johnathan Thurston, Aaron Woods


Phil Mustard hit his first century for Gloucestershire to put the Division Two side on top against Derbyshire.

The wicketkeeper, on loan from Durham, reached his hundred off 185 balls having shared half-century stands with Chris Dent (94) and Jack Taylor.
Tony Palladino's five-wicket haul saw the visitors bowled out for 331 in Derby, with Mustard ending 107 not out.
Ben Slater was trapped lbw by David Payne for a duck as Derbyshire closed day two on 16-2, trailing by 73 runs.


Northern Ireland defender Chris Baird has confirmed his retirement from international football to concentrate on his club career with Derby County.

The 34-year-old won 79 caps and was part of manager Michael O'Neill's squad at the Euro 2016 finals in France.
He played his final game for Northern Ireland in their opening game of the tournament, a defeat by Poland in Nice.
"I am not getting any younger and I feel it is the right thing to do at this stage," said Baird.
The versatile County Antrim man made his debut against Italy in 2003 and has played at right-back, centre-back and more recently as a defensive midfielder for his country.
He lined out in nine of the 10 qualification games that took O'Neill's side to Euro 2016.
"It was a tough decision because I have enjoyed every single minute that I have played for Northern Ireland," added the former Southampton, Fulham and West Bromwich Albion player, who also had spells with Reading and Burnley.
"Qualification for Euro 2016 was the icing on the cake for my international career, but I have so many fantastic memories, like the win over England and beating Spain.
"I am fortunate to have lined out with some great players over the past 13 years and I would like to thank the managers, coaches and Irish FA staff that I have worked over that time.
"I would also like to thank the Northern Ireland fans who have been absolutely tremendous. It is true - they are the best supporters in the world."
O'Neill added: "Chris has been an absolute rock for me in the four years that I have been in charge. His defensive qualities, his reading of the game and his experience have been invaluable, especially in our Euro 2016 qualification campaign.
"In addition to his football ability, he is also a fantastic person and we will miss him around the squad.
"Chris has been a tremendous servant to Northern Ireland. I fully respect his decision to retire from international football at this stage and I wish him every success as he continues his highly successful club career."


Moise Katumbi, the chairman of TP Mazembe, has dedicated his team's latest triumph to the Congolese people.

Five-time African champions Mazembe beat AS Vita Club 1-0 on Wednesday to take the title for a record 16th time.
Katumbi is an opposition leader currently in exile from DR Congo after falling out with President Joseph Kabila.
"This victory is for the Congolese people because football unites everybody," Katumbi told BBC Sport.
Katumbi says the team's vision for next season is to promote young players from his academy to conquer Africa.
"In the next eight years, I foresee my country being a real football force not only in Africa but the whole world," he said.
Katumbi said that winning the title has not been easy.
"We are the only team that doesn't receive any support from the provincial government," he said on the phone from Morocco where he is attending a Confederation of African Football symposium.
"All other teams are given transport money to fulfil their fixtures. Ever since I resigned as Governor of the Katanga province, my team has suffered sanctions."
Katumbi announced his presidential ambitions last year but was convicted of illegal property selling and sentenced to three years in prison in absentia shortly after.
Judge Chantal Ramazani has since said she was pressured to do so by the country's intelligence service in a bid to block his political ambitions.
The intelligence services deny the allegations.
DR Congo's elections were due to be held in late 2016 but have yet to take place. Their timing is still uncertain.


Thousands of pounds have been raised for a children's charity thanks to the visit of a rare Asian bird.

The dusky thrush was seen at Dukes Barn activity centre in Beeley, Derbyshire, in early December, prompting the arrival of about 1,000 twitchers.
A small donation was suggested for using its car park and food and drink was also sold to the birdwatchers.
The centre, which organises outside activities for disabled children, said it could now buy new equipment.
The thrush, which has only been seen about a dozen times in the UK, was believed to have been blown to Britain by "strong easterly winds".
It unexpectedly stayed for about a week feeding in the charity's orchard unfazed by all the attention.
Birdwatchers travelled from all over the country to see the bird after they were alerted to its presence by Beeley resident Rachel Jones.
David Johnstone, from Scotland, said he drove for about five hours to get a glimpse of the bird.
The small village felt the impact of its star attraction and at one point a bus was laid on from Chatsworth House's car parks to relieve the pressure.
Ann Poppal, who lives in Beeley, said what happened to the village was "astounding" but the attention also made life difficult for residents - some even got fed up with the birdwatchers.
However, Heather Cope, a manager at Dukes Barn, said the bird had left a lasting legacy.
She said: "I've seen it twice and I've seen lots of wonderful photographs, we're going to ask some of the people to send them so we can make paintings and big displays."
Wildlife experts believe the bird, which is about the size of a blackbird, has headed south to warmer climes.


Huddersfield Town forwards Harry Bunn and Sean Scannell are both available after injuries.

However, Chelsea loanees Kasey Palmer (hamstring) and Izzy Brown (knee) are both back at their parent club having treatment on their injuries.
Preston defender Alex Baptiste begins his three-match ban after his red card in the defeat by Leeds.
Striker Jordan Hugill could return for the Lilywhites after he missed that game with concussion.


Schools where pupils fail to get good GCSE grades in English and maths should pay a levy to fund pupils who re-take their exams in further education colleges, says a think tank.

Policy Exchange has published a report highlighting that FE colleges in England teach a higher proportion of pupils re-sitting exams than schools.
But FE colleges face greater pressures on their budgets than schools.
Two teaching unions have criticised the levy proposal.
Brian Lightman, of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said the idea of a levy was an "own goal".
The report from the right-leaning think tank suggests re-allocating financial support to further education colleges in England which take on pupils who have previously struggled in school.
It proposes that secondary schools where pupils have failed to achieve at least C grades in GCSE English and maths should face a financial penalty of about Â£500 per pupil which would then be used to support students retaking exams in further education colleges.
There are five times more students retaking English in FE colleges than in schools, says the report.
For maths, almost six times as many retakes are in FE colleges as in schools.
Natasha Porter, author of the Policy Exchange report, said: "It is unfair for some schools to pass the buck to FE colleges who are already facing extreme funding pressures to fix a problem they have not caused themselves.
"To recognise the additional burden on FE colleges and shoulder more responsibility, schools should cough up and pay a re-sit levy."
A Department for Education spokesman defended the existing arrangements.
"Post-16 funding is already allocated on a per pupil basis, and we already provide an extra Â£480 per student, per subject for all those with GCSE English or maths below grade C," he said.
In terms of funding, while school budgets have been protected in cash terms for the next five years, further education colleges face growing financial problems.
Last month, the National Audit Office (NAO) warned that the further education sector was "experiencing rapidly declining financial health".
At the same time, the number of retakes is likely to increase because of a requirement for pupils to retake English and maths if they fail to get at least a C grade.
Mr Lightman of the ASC said funding for post-16 education "urgently needs to be addressed", but he argued that taking money from schools would be a step backwards.
"Schools are already facing real-terms cuts in their budgets and unprecedented difficulties in recruiting staff, particularly maths teachers," he said, "a re-sit levy would potentially worsen this situation."
John Widdowson, president of the Association of Colleges, welcomed the recognition of the funding pressure on his members and said it was "extremely disappointing" that the government had failed to ring-fence spending for colleges in the way it had for schools.
But Christine Blower, leader of the National Union of Teachers, said the think tank's proposals would in fact "penalise secondary schools without improving matters substantially for further education colleges".
A Department for Education spokesman emphasised the importance of key subjects such as English and maths.
"If young people have not mastered them by 16, it is more likely they will be held back for the rest of their life," he said.
"That is why we want all young people who do not achieve at least a GCSE C in English or maths to continue studying until they reach that standard."
A separate report being published on Tuesday emphasised the achievement gap between rich and poor that had opened by the age of 11.
An analysis of primary school test results in England showed that in the most deprived areas, 31% of pupils did not reach the expected levels in English and maths, compared with just 11% in the wealthiest areas.
The study of the 2013-14 test results was published by the New Schools Network, which supports the opening of free schools.
"This important new research shows the deep inequality that still exists within the state school system," said director Nick Timothy.
"We have many excellent schools in England but it cannot be right that children from poor families are three times more likely to be unable to read, write and add up properly than children from wealthy families."


Thousands of workers at a shoe factory in Vietnam's largest city, Ho Chi Minh City, are on strike for the sixth day, in a rare anti-government protest.

The workers are protesting at a social insurance law that kicks in next year.
They have occupied the factory compound of Taiwanese-owned Pou Yuen, which makes footwear for major brands such as Nike and Adidas.
Vietnam sometimes sees worker disputes but large-scale protests against the government are rare.
City and government officials have been trying to negotiate, as streets surrounding the factory remain blocked by protesters, who have been conducting peaceful sit-ins.
"The company has given them a day off today and we are holding dialogue with workers," Nguyen Tran Phuong Tran, deputy chairwoman of the city's labour union, told Reuters.
The ongoing strike in Ho Chi Minh City is one of the largest and longest that has ever happened in Vietnam. It is also unusual as the protesters are rallying against the government's labour policies rather than working conditions or pay.
The Vietnamese government does not tolerate dissent and considers mass protests a challenge to national security. Until now, the strike has been peaceful but there are fears that it may expand and get out of control.
It is likely that the Labour Ministry will reconsider their insurance policies to address the workers' concerns in order to avoid social unrest before the all-important Communist Party Congress that is planned to take place early next year.
The dispute is over the government's move to effectively convert an unemployment welfare scheme into a retirement savings scheme.
Currently, workers pay a monthly premium into a central fund, and when they become unemployed they receive a lump sum payout equivalent to premiums paid.
Under the new law, workers will only receive payouts when they retire, and the amount will be given on a monthly basis rather than as a lump sum. Only a small minority will be eligible for unemployment payouts.
The retirement age in Vietnam is 60 for men and 55 for women.
The government has argued that the rule is aimed at meeting "long-run social security objectives for the sake of labourers", said news portal Tuoi Tre.
But the workers on strike say that they prefer getting payouts when they are unemployed, to cover daily needs while seeking new jobs.
With its low wages and young workforce, Vietnam has become a manufacturing hub in the region, producing consumer goods and electronics for multinationals.
The majority of Vietnam's population of 90 million are aged below 40 years old, according to the CIA Factbook.


Game of Thrones fans, you may want to book a flight to the US for some time next year.

HBO has announced a full orchestra and choir performing live music from the programme will start touring 28 cities from February.
And they say it's going to be "epic". Obviously.
The show's composer Ramin Djawadi says some of the show's most popular scenes will go out on big screens at the same time.
He says he wants to create an "immersive" event.
"I wanted something that takes you beyond just watching an orchestra play with things happening onstage that will enhance the musical experience," he says.
He's also looking forward to bringing live classical music to fans who might not usually be interested in it.
And executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss say they're excited.
"For seven years, Ramin has been blowing our mind with his music's force, subtlety, and endless inventiveness," they say.
They're promising "an eye-popping, ear-splitting, phantasmagoric blend of the show's visuals and Ramin's powerful compositions".
The tour starts in Kansas City next year with stops including New York's Madison Square Garden and the Los Angeles Forum.
HBO confirmed last month that the next series of Game of Thrones would be the last but one.
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The US Defence Secretary James Mattis has said there can be "no doubt" that Syria retains chemical weapons.

Gen Mattis also said the Syrian government had moved its warplanes in recent days, speaking during a visit to Israel.
He said Syria would be "ill-advised" to try to use chemical weapons again, after the alleged attack on 4 April which killed more than 80 people.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says the attack claims are 100% fabricated.
The US responded to the Khan Sheikhoun attack by launching air strikes on a Syrian military airfield.
General Mattis accused the Syrian government of violating a 2013 agreement to hand over its chemical weapons to the international community.
"There can be no doubt in the international community's mind that Syria has retained chemical weapons in violation of its agreement and its statement that it had removed them all," he said.
"It's going to have to be taken up diplomatically," he said, at a press conference with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman.
He declined to comment on the amount of chemical weapons he believed Syria still possesses.
But Israeli defence officials have told local media that their intelligence assessments suggest President Assad has retained between one and three tonnes of the banned substances.
Gen Mattis's comments follow the recent missile strike ordered by President Trump against a Syrian airbase after the alleged chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said this week that "incontrovertible" test results on samples from victims from the attack showed that the nerve agent sarin or a similar substance was used.
Syria's ally Russia said an air strike hit a rebel depot full of chemical munitions - but this has been rejected by many in the international community.
Gen Mattis was also asked about reports that Syrian forces had moved warplanes to a Russian base in Syria.
There was "no doubt," he said, "they have dispersed their aircraft in recent days".


Police are warning people about fake beauty products after substances such as rat droppings, human urine and arsenic were found in seized goods.

Make-up, perfume and sun cream are among the phony items being highlighted by the City of London Police.
It said lab tests showed counterfeit products also had toxic chemicals like arsenic, mercury and cyanide.
The campaign also warns about fake electrical beauty goods that could cause electrocution.
The force said in the UK it is estimated at least £90m is spent every year on fake goods.
Counterfeit beauty products in particular are becoming increasingly common and easily available on the internet.
Police said laboratory tests have shown fake perfume often contains poisonous chemicals including cyanide and even human urine.
Phony cosmetics such as eyeliner, mascara, lip gloss and foundation have been found to contain toxic levels of chemicals and harmful substances such as arsenic, mercury and lead.
All of these can cause allergic reactions, such as skin irritation, swelling, rashes and burns as well as leaving the person with longer term health problems.
A City of London spokesman said counterfeit make-up is often produced in unhygienic factories and there have been cases where rats' droppings and poison have also been found in them.
Det Supt Maria Woodall, who oversees the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit at City of London Police, said it had suspended more than 5,500 websites selling fake luxury branded goods as well as seizing more than £3.5m worth of phony products.
She also said customers' payment and personal details had been stolen to make other purchases.
"Beauty products are meant to enhance your features.  However, the fakes can in fact do quite the opposite," she added.
"Our general rule is - if it seems too good to be true then it probably is."


When red deer arrived on Scotland's outer islands some 5,000 years ago, they were probably brought across the ocean by humans from as far away as central Europe, a study suggests.

Researchers compared ancient and modern deer DNA across the region.
In particular, analysis of deer samples from archaeological sites in Orkney and the Outer Hebrides revealed surprisingly distinctive DNA sequences.
The animals are unlikely to have come from the mainland, the scientists say.
Even Norway and Ireland are unlikely sources, they add, suggesting seafaring Neolithic people trafficked the beasts from a mysterious and more far-flung source.
Their findings are reported in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Red deer, the largest of modern British land animals, were banished from most of western Europe and restricted to southern Spain during the last Ice Age.
When the ice retreated about 10,000 years ago, these and other beasts - including humans - gradually repopulated northern regions. But red deer didn't make it to these outer Scottish isles until about 5,000 years ago.
Humans, which were increasingly adopting domestication during this period, are thought to be responsible for the deer's arrival - but the new study casts doubt on the obvious idea that they shipped them from mainland Scotland.
The ancient Orkney and Hebrides deer DNA in the new study is not a good match for any known population of red deer, including ancient specimens from mainland Scotland, Ireland and Norway.
"We think that the most likely source is from an unsampled population somewhere - we could be looking at somewhere like mainland Europe," the paper's lead author, Dr David Stanton from Cardiff University, told the BBC News website.
"There's not a huge amount known about the seafaring capabilities of humans in northern Europe around that time - we just don't know.
"This potentially gives us a bit of a clue as to what they might have been capable of."
If central Europe was indeed the source, then the deer could have shared the trajectory of the Orkney vole, which arrived on the boats of Belgian farmers 5,100 years ago according to a 2013 study.
One of the authors of that research, Prof Jeremy Searle from Cornell University in the US, said the new work on red deer DNA was "absolutely fascinating" but cautioned that there are other explanations for the genetic uniqueness of the ancient outer-island deer.
"One other explanation - which they do actually mention in the paper - is that there was an initial colonisation of the British Isles by the red deer, and then that initial genetic type later got replaced by another genetic type," he said.
"So what you're seeing around the periphery is kind of the relic of that initial colonisation, while the bulk of Britain is represented by the second population."
Prof Searle and colleagues have found evidence for this sort of two-phase colonisation in several British species, he explained.
The argument for a long-range deer delivery could be clinched, he suggested, by establishing a strong genetic similarity with that mysterious source population - wherever it may be.
"I think the study is a really interesting springboard for future investigations."
Dr Stanton agrees. "It's the tip of the iceberg really," he said of the new findings. "We've got a lot more searching to do."
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A new investigation into the fatal shooting of a Greater Manchester Police officer during a firearms exercise has been launched by the police watchdog.

PC Ian Terry, 32, was killed in June 2008 during training at a disused warehouse in east Manchester.
The investigation is looking at fresh allegations into the evidence provided by officers after the shooting.
No officers have ever faced criminal charges over the death but an inquest in 2010 found he was unlawfully killed.
PC Terry, from Burnley in Lancashire, was not wearing body armour when he was hit from a distance of about 12in (30.5cm) by a blank round of specialist ammunition not designed to kill.
He was playing the role of a criminal fleeing in a car.
An earlier investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which concluded in December 2009, looked at the circumstances of the shooting.
It found evidence of a case to answer for gross misconduct for three Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers.
Gross misconduct was found for two officers and a third had retired before disciplinary proceedings could be held.
The new investigation concerns evidence given by a number of officers to the IPCC, to the inquest after PC Terry's death and to the subsequent Health and Safety Executive crown court trial, the watchdog said.
A spokesman said: "Some of the allegations are still being assessed at this time to determine whether or not they warrant investigation.
"A decision on the remaining allegations will be made as soon as possible."
The IPCC is also already looking into the firearms deaths of two other men - Anthony Grainger, an unarmed man who was shot by a GMP firearms officer in 2012  and Jordan Begley, who was Tasered by GMP officers in 2013.


The US-led coalition fighting Islamic State (IS) militants has pledged to send an additional 1,500 troops to Iraq, a top US commander has said.

Lt Gen James Terry, who is co-ordinating efforts against IS, said the soldiers would be in addition to 3,100 US soldiers already promised.
He did not say which coalition nations would provide the extra troops or what role they would play.
The US has agreed to send troops to Iraq in an advisory role.
Coalition members discussed the Islamic State issue and made the troop pledge at a security conference in the region last week, Gen Terry said.
Gen Terry also told the conference that air strikes against IS were taking a toll on the militants' campaign in Iraq and Syria.
The US state department says nearly 60 countries belong to the coalition, although most play no direct role in the air strikes.
It is hoped the deployment of additional soldiers will increase the effectiveness of the Iraqi army, much of which proved ineffective under an IS onslaught last summer.
"While [the Iraqi security forces] have a long way to go I think they're becoming more capable every day," Lt Terry said.
"When you start now to balance the different capabilities out across the coalition, I think we're doing pretty well in terms of boots on the ground."
Meanwhile, the Combined Joint Task Force announced that US-led coalition forces carried out 15 air strikes in Syria and 31 in Iraq between 3 and 8 December.
IS controls large areas of Syria and Iraq, imposing a rigid version of Sunni Islam and persecuting or killing non-believers.
The group has also executed several western hostages and has promised to kill more.
Earlier on Monday US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said that the US would not be reviewing its policy of not paying ransoms in hostage situations, in spite of several failed rescue bids in the last few months.
In the latest incident, British-born US journalist Luke Somers and South African teacher Pierre Korkie were both killed by al-Qaeda gunmen in Yemen during an attempted rescue operation on Saturday.


A deal signed between the Tories and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) includes an extra £1bn in public spending for Northern Ireland.

The "confidence and supply" agreement was signed in Downing St by DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and Tory Chief Whip Gavin Williamson.
The Prime Minister sought the support of the DUP's 10 MPs after losing her majority in the general election.
The government has published full details of the agreement online.
Talks between the Conservatives and the DUP began shortly after the poll on 8 June but it took longer than expected to finalise a deal.
As well as the financial commitments, the two parties have agreed there will be no change to the pensions triple-lock or the universal winter fuel payment, that they will meet a NATO commitment of spending 2% of GDP on the armed forces, and that they will implement the Armed Forces Covenant in Northern Ireland.
Sinn Féin, the second largest party in Northern Ireland, has previously refused to support implementing the military covenant in Northern Ireland.
The Prime Minister described the deal as a "very, very good one".
In a letter outlining the terms of the deal to Conservative MPs, Mrs May said: "Northern Ireland's unique circumstances, not least the legacy of the Troubles, means that it faces specific challenges."
Her letter added that both the DUP and the Tories "agree the need for additional financial support for Northern Ireland and jointly desire that this will play a positive role in the efforts to re-establish devolved government".
Speaking outside Downing Street, DUP leader Arlene Foster said the details of the agreement would "benefit all our (Northern Ireland) people".
"They will boost the economy and invest in new infrastructure as well as investing in the future of our health and education sectors and a range of other measures," she said.
Read more analysis from BBC News NI Business Editor John Campbell
Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader Colum Eastwood said it was critical that the money is "targeted at areas of need, not the parochial priorities of one political party".
He said the deal should prioritise "building the A5 and A6, using city deals to further the expansion of Magee University at Magee and bespoke investment across the north and an immediate end to regional investment disparities".
Alliance MLA Stephen Farry described the agreement as "significant" and said his party would welcomed additional resources for Northern Ireland, provided any new money was spent "wisely and strategically".
However he added: "The process around which the money and allocations have been determined has not been and open and transparent one."
The agreement has also been criticised by politicians in England, Scotland and Wales, who argue spending in Northern Ireland should be matched in other parts of the UK.
Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, said the Tory-DUP deal is "clearly not in the national interest" but was designed to help the prime minister "cling to power."
"The government must immediately answer two questions," Mr Corbyn said.
"Where is the money for the Tory-DUP deal coming from? And, will all parts of the UK receive the much needed additional funding that Northern Ireland will get as part of the deal?"
Money distributed to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is controlled by the Barnett Formula, which dictates the allocation of funding from Westminster according to population size and what powers are devolved to each nation.
Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones said the Conservative-DUP deal "all but kills the idea of fair funding for all nations and regions".
"It is outrageous that the prime minister believes she can secure her own political future by throwing money at Northern Ireland whilst completely ignoring the rest of the UK," he said.
Ian Blackford, the Scottish National Party's leader at Westminster, said it was a "grubby deal" that "summed up how little the Tories care about Scotland".
The Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney said the deal between the Conservative Party and the DUP was "primarily a matter for those two parties".
However, he noted that the agreement "provides for DUP support for British government legislation on Brexit" and suggested that could help Stormont negotiate a better deal when the UK leaves the EU.
"An enhanced Northern Ireland voice, articulating an agreed devolved government position, could see more effective and inclusive representation of the unique circumstances of Northern Ireland at Westminster," Mr Coveney said.
Northern Ireland's health service is a big winner from the DUP-Conservatives deal - it will receive about £300m that will allow the service some breathing space.
Many will argue that it is just a sticking plaster that will not go far enough to see the transformation that is required.
The UK government is to allocate £50m per year for two years to enable the executive to address immediate pressures in health and education.
While £50m may sound a lot, in practice that amount of money could be spent very quickly trying to tackle the thousands of people on hospital waiting lists
On top of that, £100m per year will be allocated for two years towards transforming the local health service - this will go someway in helping to deliver the recommendations set out in the Bengoa health review and the Department of Health's subsequent 10-year plan.
The big surprise is the money allocated to tackling mental health: £10m per year for five years.
Health professionals will welcome this additional funding in an area with a spiralling problem of its own in terms of waiting lists.
The deal will also have a major impact on ongoing talks in Northern Ireland, where parties have until 29 June to find agreement over restoring the devolved government.
Northern Ireland has been without a power-sharing executive since March and without a first and deputy first minister since January.
The institutions collapsed amid a bitter row between the DUP and Sinn Féin about a botched green energy scheme.
The late deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, stood down in protest over the DUP's handling of an investigation into the energy scandal, in a move that triggered a snap election.
Stormont parties have been warned that if they cannot reach agreement on restoring the Northern Ireland's power-sharing government, direct rule from Westminster could follow.
Parties had raised concerns that the DUP-Tory deal could undermine devolution negotiations, arguing a government dependent on the support of the DUP could not be impartial its Northern Ireland policies.
However, Conservative MP and First Secretary of State, Damian Green, denied that the deal could put Stormont's future at risk.
He repeated a previous comment made by Mrs May that "the Conservative Party's full title has traditionally been the Conservative and Unionist Party".
"We are always unionist, we remain as unionist as we ever have been, and have been throughout the time when we've been able to deal with devolved institutions," Mr Green said.
"But what we say is that absolutely we continue to be committed to the notion of consent in Northern Ireland; it is for the people of Northern Ireland to decide on their own governance structure."
In her letter to Tory MPs, Mrs May said "the Conservative Party will never be neutral in expressing its support for the union".
"As the UK government, we believe that Northern Ireland's future is best served within a stronger United Kingdom. We will always uphold the consent principle and the democratic wishes of the people of Northern Ireland."


Aaron Wilbraham tapped home an injury-time equaliser for Bristol City after Ikechi Anya looked set to earn victory with Derby County's second Championship goal of the season.

Wilbraham denied the Rams a second league win this term when he finished from Bobby Reid's low cross.
Aden Flint's poor back header allowed Anya time to chip in the opener.
And the Rams will rue missed chances and the brilliance of former goalkeeper Frank Fielding for the failure to win.
Fielding made excellent second-half saves to deny James Wilson, Matej Vydra and substitute Darren Bent.
Derby were also on top before the interval, with Vydra shooting off target, Will Hughes sending a header just wide and Wilson also volleying wide.
The hosts rarely threatened with Abraham shooting over with their best chance.
Anya's cool finish finally ended Derby's miserable run of four league games without a goal and they looked set for maximum points despite their wastefulness.
However, Abraham and Reid combined to tee up Wilbraham who had a simple talk of scoring from a couple of yards out.
Bristol City manager Lee Johnson:  "I'm so pleased for Frank Fielding. Someone said well done in the dressing room afterwards and there was a spontaneous round of applause from the players because they all love him.
"He is so supportive to the other players even when things are not going right for him. He has had a difficult year recovering from injury but looked back to his best.
"Aaron Wilbraham is another player the whole squad respect. He polices the dressing room with his stature and remains an important member of the squad."
Derby County boss Nigel Pearson: "The reality is that it is a very big opportunity lost for us. We have created clear-cut chances that we have spurned at 1-0.
"When that happens it just takes a lucky break or a bit of good play with the opposition throwing extra men forward and we paid the penalty.
"You could see by the players' reaction at full-time how disappointed they were. We continue to stutter as a direct result of not converting the chances we are making.
"We have good players and to be fair to the lads we have had some very good performances over the last few games."
REACTION: Derby County manager Nigel Pearson speaks to BBC Radio Derby
Match ends, Bristol City 1, Derby County 1.
Second Half ends, Bristol City 1, Derby County 1.
Offside, Bristol City. Jamie Paterson tries a through ball, but Aaron Wilbraham is caught offside.
Goal!  Bristol City 1, Derby County 1. Aaron Wilbraham (Bristol City) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Bobby Reid.
Bobby Reid (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Will Hughes (Derby County).
Attempt saved. Matej Vydra (Derby County) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Tom Ince.
Attempt missed. Aden Flint (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Tammy Abraham with a headed pass.
Offside, Derby County. Andreas Weimann tries a through ball, but Matej Vydra is caught offside.
Foul by Hördur Bjorgvin Magnusson (Bristol City).
Matej Vydra (Derby County) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt missed. Tammy Abraham (Bristol City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Jamie Paterson with a cross.
Foul by Bobby Reid (Bristol City).
Scott Carson (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Scott Carson (Derby County) is shown the yellow card.
Attempt missed. Bobby Reid (Bristol City) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Tammy Abraham with a headed pass.
Corner,  Derby County. Conceded by Hördur Bjorgvin Magnusson.
Attempt saved. Darren Bent (Derby County) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Matej Vydra.
Lee Tomlin (Bristol City) hits the bar with a right footed shot from outside the box.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Bobby Reid (Bristol City) because of an injury.
Bobby Reid (Bristol City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Craig Bryson (Derby County).
Corner,  Derby County. Conceded by Aden Flint.
Attempt missed. Aaron Wilbraham (Bristol City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Jamie Paterson with a cross following a corner.
Corner,  Bristol City. Conceded by Darren Bent.
Attempt blocked. Lee Tomlin (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Lee Tomlin (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Will Hughes (Derby County).
Substitution, Derby County. Tom Ince replaces Jacob Butterfield.
Attempt missed. Craig Bryson (Derby County) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Matej Vydra with a headed pass.
Corner,  Derby County. Conceded by Luke Freeman.
Corner,  Bristol City. Conceded by Craig Bryson.
Substitution, Bristol City. Aaron Wilbraham replaces Marlon Pack.
Foul by Marlon Pack (Bristol City).
Will Hughes (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Lee Tomlin (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Cyrus Christie (Derby County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Luke Freeman (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Cyrus Christie (Derby County).


Conservative US blogger Matt Drudge has kicked up a storm by suggesting that the warnings over Hurricane Matthew are a government conspiracy to make "an exaggerated point on climate" change.

The founder of the Drudge Report tweeted that the US hurricane centre had a monopoly on data and there was "no way of verifying claims".
Critics said his comments were not only wrong, but dangerous.
Experts warn the storm is deadly and those in its path should heed warnings.
The category three hurricane has sustained winds of 120mph (193km/h) and is bearing down on the US east coast.
President Barack Obama has declared a State of Emergency in Florida and thousands of people have been evacuated from the states of Georgia and the Carolinas.
The storm has already devastated parts of Haiti, leaving more than 300 people dead, and has battered Cuba and the Bahamas.
Nevertheless, Matt Drudge tweeted: "The deplorables are starting to wonder if govt has been lying to them about Hurricane Matthew intensity to make exaggerated point on climate."
"Deplorables" is believed to refer to supporters of US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has expressed scepticism about climate change, following comments from his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Matt Drudge also questioned data from the US National Hurricane Center, saying it did not match information coming from the Bahamas.
Journalist Libby Nelson, writing for news website Vox, said there was "no evidence" for Matt Drudge's claims and that such conspiracy-mongering was "a dangerous game".
"The implication of Drudge's tweet is that resisting evacuation isn't a bad, self-destructive move but a brave way for 'deplorables' to stand up for [sic] the government. That's not just stupid - it could very well be deadly," she said.
Hugh Cobb, chief of the hurricane centre's tropical analysis and forecast branch, told Popular Science magazine that he was aware of Matt Drudge's comments but would not comment on them himself.
He said all data was being collected straight from the storm using reconnaissance aircraft.
Earlier this week, conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh also speculated about whether hurricanes have been exaggerated.
"It's in the interest of the left to have destructive hurricanes because then they can blame it on climate change, which they can desperately continue trying to sell," he said on his namesake show.
But Limbaugh added that this was not the case with Matthew, which he called a "serious, bad storm".
Other respected meteorologists also took issue with Matt Drudge.
Sean Breslin, digital editor of the Weather Channel suggested the Drudge Report "stick to sports"
Greg Fishel, Chief Meteorologist for WRAL-TV in North Carolina, tweeted: "Whatever respect I had for Drudge, which was minimal to start with, was destroyed with this tweet."


Lifesaving vaccines in the island nation of Vanuatu will soon be delivered to remote areas by drone.

A partnership between the government and the United Nations children's fund (Unicef) will see a trial on drone medical delivery next year.
The country is made up of a string of more than 80 islands - once known as the New Hebrides - many of which do not have airstrips or good roads.
Most of the people live in rural areas and farm their own food.
Vanuatu's director general at the ministry of health said the test was a milestone for the small island nation.
"If the trial shows that vaccine delivery using drones can work, and that it can be integrated into our existing national and provincial systems, then it will change the way we operate forever," George Taleo said.
Unicef said: "Ensuring vaccines are consistently available in isolated and remote communities is one of the keys to sustaining high rates of immunisation."
Drone technology has become cheaper and more powerful in recent years - factors which contributed to the trial, Unicef said.
It will begin in August 2017 with a technical assessment, followed by a targeted delivery to certain islands in March 2018.
If successful, it will then be rolled out for regular deliveries to health authorities across the 65 inhabited islands later in the year.
Vanuatu has an infant mortality rate of 23 per 1,000 births - below the global average, but higher than in developed Western nations.


The way Chelsea beat Tottenham in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final showed why they are going to win the Premier League title too.

As usual, Antonio Conte's side were dogged and resilient - and the manager's gameplan worked perfectly.
They were content to soak up Spurs' pressure and possession and, when they went up the other end, they took their chances brilliantly.
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The Blues scored four goals against the team with the best defensive record in the top flight, so you cannot say they did not deserve their victory.
And anyone who doubted Chelsea after their defeats by Manchester United and Crystal Palace just had to watch them at Wembley to see how good they are.
This was a superb display that won a brilliant cup tie and, psychologically, could and probably should pull them across the line in the title race too.
They know they beat their closest rivals despite not having three key players for the majority of the game - centre-back Gary Cahill, who was out injured, and winger Eden Hazard and striker Diego Costa, who came off the bench with less than half an hour to play.
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Conte's decision to leave Costa and, in particular, Hazard out of his starting line-up was a huge call - but it worked.
The guy he brought in for Hazard - Willian - scored twice. Then, when he brought Hazard on in the second half, the Belgium international changed the game.
Hazard scored Chelsea's vital third goal and he also rolled the ball into Nemanja Matic for his fantastic strike to make it 4-2.
When you make big decisions, you want them to work in your favour, and things could not really have worked out any better for Conte on Saturday.
The Italian has not got very much wrong in his first season in the Premier League, especially since switching to his favoured formation of three at the back at the end of September.
The double is definitely on, which would be an incredible achievement.
Kenny Dalglish (with Liverpool in 1986) and Carlo Ancelotti (with Chelsea in 2010) are the only other managers to have done it in their first season in England, and now Conte has a fantastic chance of doing the same.
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The benches illustrated the difference in depth between the two teams, because Chelsea's substitutes made a huge difference, and Tottenham's didn't.
It obviously helps when you have got big hitters like Hazard, Costa and Fabregas to come on - but I still think Spurs wasted a great opportunity to beat a weakened Chelsea side.
Tottenham dominated possession - they had 63% of the ball and played 544 passes to 323 by Chelsea - but I don't think they did enough with it.
They only had four shots on target, and one of them was in the 93rd minute.
Kane took his goal very well and Dele Alli's finish to make it 2-2 was superb after a brilliant ball by Christian Eriksen.
The way Alli found the space inside the area was very similar to the headers he scored when Spurs beat Chelsea in the league in January but, other than that, they did not open Conte's side up often enough.
As much as victory will lift Chelsea, this defeat will damage Tottenham - who have now lost seven straight FA Cup semi-finals.
I don't think it affects Spurs' title hopes, because I never thought Chelsea would chuck the league away whatever happened at Wembley.
But, trophy-wise, it now looks like Mauricio Pochettino's team will not have anything to show for their season - and I think the next 12 months will be a crucial time for the club.
If you go through the Tottenham team, they have one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League - if not the best - in Hugo Lloris, and they certainly have the best defender in Toby Alderweireld.
Alli is one of the most sought-after young players in the world and Kane is one of the best strikers in the Premier League, and with Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele in midfield they have one hell of a spine.
But all that talent needs to get over the line in something - and soon.
They need to win a trophy next season, otherwise I fear their top players will look to go elsewhere to get some silverware.
Alan Shearer was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.


Britain's Chris Froome won stage 11 of the Vuelta a Espana to move into second place overall.

Froome, who climbed back to third in stage 10, narrowed the gap on overall leader Nairo Quintana to 54 seconds.
Spain's Alejandro Valverde has fallen to third, with Briton Simon Yates in seventh place.
"Quintana is really strong and I'm trying to do as much as I can day by day and trying to get close to him," Froome said.
"After the season I've had it is really tough for me at the moment".
Froome, who is aiming to become the first man in 38 years to win the Tour de France and the Vuelta in the same season, had previously been 58 seconds behind Quintana.
1.  Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) 3hrs 44mins 47secs
2.  Nairo Quintana (Col/ Movistar) same time
3.  Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar)+6secs
4.  Leopold Koenig (Cze/Team Sky) same time
5.  Alberto Contador (Spa/Tinkoff)
6.  Simon Yates (GB/Orica) +13secs
7.  Michele Scarponi (Ita/ Astana) +14secs
8.  Esteban Chaves (Col/Orica) +19secs
9.  Pierre Latour (Fra/AG2R) +22secs
10. Samuel Sanchez (Spa/BMC Racing) +30secs
1.  Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar) 42hrs 21mins 48secs
2.  Chris Froome (GB/ Team Sky) +54secs
3.  Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) +1min 5secs
4.  Esteban Chaves (Col/Orica) +2mins 34secs
5.  Alberto Contador (Spa/Tinkoff) +3mins 6secs
6.  Leopold Koenig (Cze/Team Sky) +3mins 9secs
7.  Simon Yates (GB/Orica) +3mins 25secs
8.  Michele Scarponi (Ita/Astana) +3mins 34secs
9.  David De La Cruz (Spa/Etixx-Quick-Step) +3mins 45secs
10. Samuel Sanchez (Spa/BMC Racing) +3mins 56secs


A woman who accused a friend of pretending to be a man in order to have sex with her knew all along she was female, a court heard.

Defendant Gayle Newland, 25, told Chester Crown Court she was not ready for sex but the complainant persuaded her to buy a prosthetic penis.
She admitted creating fake male online accounts to speak to girls, using photos of an American man.
Ms Newland, from Willaston, Cheshire, denies five sexual assaults in 2013.
She claims the complainant knew Ms Newland was a woman from the "get-go" having first met on a night out in 2011, after which the complainant added the fake Facebook account - in the name of Kye Fortune - as a friend.
"My main reason why I spoke as Kye was for her," Ms Newland told the court, adding: "If she wanted to hide her sexuality I would allow her to do that."
The pair continued to communicate by phone but the defendant denied changing her voice during their chats.
The relationship then developed as "a combination" of "role play" and "sexual fantasy" even after the pair met as themselves after being "introduced" by "Kye", Ms Newland claimed.
But she insisted "at no stage" was the claimant blindfolded between February and June 2013 when the sexual assaults were alleged to have occurred.
Ms Newland said she "didn't really know what the hell I was doing" when she later used the prosthetic penis on one of her regular visits to the complainant's flat.
The court heard shortly before they last had sex Newland told the complainant she was telling her parents she was gay and the relationship ended soon after.
Later Ms Newland sent her a text message saying: "I am sorry I said lies to hide lies but I did not lie about everything. It was me and still is."
Asked to explain, she told the jury: "Again, it sounds ridiculous, I don't really know why I thought it but a part of me did believe that she didn't know."
She told Matthew Corbett-Jones, for the prosecution, she did not know why her lover had gone to the police.
Mr Corbett-Jones said: "She says the reason she came forward was to stop you doing it to someone else."
Ms Newland replied: "I don't see how that is a reason."
The prosecutor said: "She believed you were a man."
Ms Newland said: "Why would she believe that? She is an intelligent young woman, very very intelligent."
Mr Corbett-Jones replied: "Because you told her. You told her repeatedly over a period of two years."
Ms Newland said: "So she wore a blindfold the complete time. Really? Really? Is that what people do because I have not heard of that?
"And don't get me wrong, I'm not the most normal of people but I have never heard of that."
The trial continues.


Lawyers have questioned the status of the Surrey Police inquiry into the Guildford pub bombings after seeing fresh evidence of a "failure to act".

Four people were wrongly jailed for the 1974 attacks. An IRA cell later claimed responsibility but was not charged.
Belfast lawyer Chris Stanley said evidence seen at the National Archives that police never acted on the confessions needed to be investigated.
Surrey Police said the inquiry was not active but new leads would be reviewed.
Mr Stanley said: "We're asking for the status of any inquiry, despite the fact they said on the record it's closed."
Adding that there was "no closure in a murder investigation", he said: "There are still unanswered questions, there are still questions of accountability, there are still questions of state failing and these things don't have an historical time limit placed on them."
In a statement, Surrey Police said: "The Guildford pub bombings which took place in 1974 are not currently subject to an active investigation.
"However, should any new or fresh information come to light, this will be reviewed.
"Surrey Police co-operated fully with the public enquiry by Sir John May in 1994 and the release of any files relating to this enquiry would be a matter for the Home Office."
About 50 files from a controversial inquiry into the miscarriage of justice are open at Kew, but more than 700 remain closed.
KRW Law has begun acting for Ann McKernan, sister of Guildford Four member Gerry Conlon, after the BBC obtained six files of working papers under freedom of information legislation.
The firm believes there was an attempt to tarnish Mr Conlon's reputation.
Mr Stanley said lawyers would examine the open files and ask to see the remaining hundreds of closed files.
Transcripts of private, oral hearings carried out by Sir John May in his five-year probe into the convictions are open at the Public Record Office.
In one hearing, Sir John questioned senior police officers and said "the $64,000 question" was what steps Surrey Police took after the Balcombe Street IRA unit accepted in 1975 it had been involved.
Lawyers have also requested access to the original inquest papers.


Olimpija Ljubljana's Blessing Eleke says he "begged" club president Milan Mandaric not to sack the coach who referred to him as a "black idiot".

Marko Nikolic, 36, agreed to leave the Slovenian leaders after he was caught on video criticising Nigerian Eleke.
The club initially refused to suspend the Serb, but the Slovenian FA banned him for seven games for "clear racism".
"He doesn't mean what he said. He just said it because he was angry," Eleke told BBC World Service.
"I'm very angry and I'm very sad. He's a family man and it's because of me that my coach lost his job. People talk about if he is a racist but I don't think he is like that.
"I have begged and I have done everything but it is the way my president wants it, so I can do nothing."
Olimpija, who are two points clear in the Slovenian top flight, appointed Nikolic earlier this year after he was sacked by Partizan Belgrade in his homeland in 2015.
They drew 1-1 against Zavrc on 10 April thanks to Eleke's first home goal for the club following his January move from league rivals Gorica.
Nikolic said his comment about Eleke was "an emotional reaction" as the 20-year-old's celebration meant there was less time for a winner, adding that he "never intended to offend the player racially".


It is not a good time to be a police officer in Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city.

So far this year, 95 officers have been murdered in and around the giant, sprawling city, according to official figures - up from 47 in 2011.
The spike in fatal attacks has been blamed on a powerful criminal gang known as the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), or First Command of the Capital.
The violence exploded back in May when six members of the PCC were killed in a shoot out with an elite police unit trying to clamp down on the drugs trade.
According to lurid newspaper headlines in Brazil, the gang's leadership swore revenge, and police officers immediately started being targeted in what has been described as an "undeclared war". Many have been killed in ambushes while they are off duty.
The fatal attacks on police officers come as the wider murder rate in Sao Paulo is also alarmingly high.
In October alone there were 176 murders in Sao Paulo city, and 571 in the wider Sao Paulo state region, mostly due to gang-on-gang violence.
For a country preparing to host football's 2014 World Cup - including the opening game in Sao Paulo - and the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio, global reports of such a situation is a public relations disaster.
Yet, for the great majority of Brazilians, life continues unaffected, at a time when the football-mad country's economy is again starting to enjoy strong growth.
And with delegates from around the world preparing to attend the Soccerex global convention of football business and finance movers and shakers in Rio, Brazilian commentators say that despite the reputational damage, the country remains a safe place for overseas visitors.
Wilber Colmerauer is managing director of Brazil Funding, a private company that advises European investors on putting their money into Brazil.
He says: "We are seeing a big wave of crime in Sao Paulo, which is not good for its image or tourism. But Sao Paulo is a huge, sprawling city, we are talking 19 million people, and the violence is taking place in the very poor parts of the city on its outskirts. Most people are completely unaffected."
Julia Carneiro, the BBC's Rio de Janeiro correspondent, agrees with this analysis.
"In the central parts of the Sao Paulo there is concern but people haven't changed their routine," she says.
"The conflict has brought great fear to the poorer part of the population and to policemen and their families, but has not affected the richer neighbourhoods - Brazil's inequality is reflected also when it comes to security.
"If this situation doesn't change and crime does not spread to the central areas, it shouldn't be a matter of concern for tourists."
However, Professor Anthony Pereira, director of the Brazil Institute at King's College in London, said the situation in Sao Paulo would probably put people off visiting Brazil in general, or investing in the country.
"We have an organised criminal gang that is challenging the state, and doing it in a sophisticated way. It raises question marks about the capacity of the state to maintain order," he says.
In contrast to Sao Paulo, the murder rate in Rio de Janeiro has fallen in recent years, thanks to a policy known as pacification.
Under pacification, marines and police armed with machine guns, and using armoured vehicles and helicopters, have been entering some of the city's hundreds of favelas - or shanty towns - to drive out drugs gangs and restore order.
Once order is restored, and a permanent police presence is secured, the city's authorities then send in staff to establish social services, such as access to medical care and basic sanitation and waste collection.
As Rio prepares for both the World Cup - at which it will host both group games and the final - and the 2016 summer Olympics, favelas near to football stadiums and other sporting sites are among those being targeted.
"The UPPs [police pacification units] in Rio have been a great success," says Anthony Pereira. "The situation in Sao Paulo should not temper the genuine optimism coming out of Rio."
However, the BBC's Julia Carneiro is less upbeat about the situation in Rio.
"Rio has over 700 favelas and the pacification has only reached a small part of these communities, a little over 30," she says.
"Dozens of others remain under control of drug gangs and some say the situation is actually getting worse in some of them, with the migration of criminals expelled from the territories they once controlled.
"Another problem which is not very known abroad is a growing one: the control over many of Rio's favelas by the militias, groups of corrupt police or ex-police officers that force the population to pay fees for gas, water and their 'protection'."
One thing that has consensus is the fact that Brazil's rate of economic growth is now gathering speed once more, after it fell back from the highs of 2010.
While the economy expanded by 7.5% in 2010, it grew only 2.7% in 2011.
Although the government expects growth of just 1.5% overall this year, the economy is expected to expand by 4% in the last quarter of 2012, and by the same level in 2013.
Wilber Colmerauer says that the slowdown from 7.5% growth was in many ways welcome because the economy was over-heating, and inflation was rising too high as a result.
"2010 was an election year, so there were many economic stimulation measures in place to boost the economy and the consumer," he says.
"But the new government had to start to unwind a lot of these, to cool the economy down. This has enabled interest rates to fall from around 12% to 7% because inflation has also fallen back.
"You also had the impact of the debt crisis in Europe hitting Brazilian exports.
"Now, though, we are in a position where Brazil has never had inflation so low, more confident consumers are able to increase their spending, and exports are rising again.
"Plus there is the economic boost of all the infrastructure projects for the World Cup, and the Olympics in Rio," he adds.
With work on the new and renovated football stadiums due to be completed by late spring of 2013, and work continuing at pace at the Olympics sites, fears that Brazil may not be ready have largely receded.
Soccerex chief executive Duncan Revie said: "We are returning to Rio for the third time, with the city very much the focus of the sporting world as host for the 2014 Fifa World Cup Final and the 2016 Olympic Games.
"It is therefore a great time for the football world to be congregating in the city."


Mae mam i ddwy o Landysul yn parhau i deimlo'n euog, dair blynedd ar ôl i'w chyn-bartner ladd ei hun.

Mae Stacey Joy yn rhannu ei stori yn gyhoeddus am y tro cyntaf gyda BBC Cymru Fyw.
Roedd Stacey Joy, 24, ar y ffôn gyda'i chyn-bartner, a thad ei phlant, pan laddodd ei hun yn 2013.
A hithau'n ddiwrnod cynta'r flwyddyn roedd Stacey Joy gyda'i theulu ac roedd ei chyn-bartner wedi bod yn ei ffonio drwy'r dydd.
"Yn y diwedd, wnes i fynnu ei fod e'n stopio, ac yn gadael llonydd i fi a'r merched," meddai. "Ro'n i'n ymwybodol ei fod e'n isel iawn, ac yn unig, ond digon oedd digon.
"Wnaeth y galwadau barhau tan yr oriau mân, ac roedd e'n dweud wrtha i'n gyson ei fod e am ladd ei hun, felly'r diwrnod yma pan oedd e'n bygwth hynny, wnes i ddim cymryd sylw.
"Roedd e'n aml yn fy ngham-drin i'n feddyliol, a bob tro yn gorffen pethau drwy ddweud ei fod e'n mynd i ladd ei hun. Ond y noson hon, wnes i ddweud rhywbeth na ddywedais erioed o'r blaen, sef 'Jyst gwna fe, a gad lonydd i fi!'
"Wnes i ddifaru'n syth, ond cyn i mi allu dweud unrhyw beth arall, glywais i sŵn rhyfedd, ac fe wnaeth y ffôn ddisgyn yr ochr draw."
Roedd y gwaethaf wedi digwydd, a dyma hi'n ffonio am ambiwlans. Ar ôl awr o aros am newyddion, daeth heddlu i'w chartref i ddweud ei fod wedi crogi ei hun.
Roedd y noson dyngedfennol heno yn benllanw blynyddoedd o berthynas a oedd yn gymysgedd o gariad a chasineb.
"Gwrddais i ag e yn syth ar ôl gadael ysgol," meddai. "Ro'n i'n ifanc, ac o edrych yn ôl, ro'n i braidd yn naïf, ac wedi disgyn dros fy mhen a fy nghlustiau mewn cariad ag e.
"Ro'n i'n gweithio bob dydd felly doedd gen i ddim syniad bod ganddo broblemau gydag alcohol, felly ro'n i'n meddwl mai bach o hwyl oedd y meddwi gyda'r nos."
Roedd Stacey Joy yn byw adref gyda'i mam ar y pryd, ac yn fuan iawn fe ddaeth ei phartner i fyw atyn nhw.
"Ar ôl mis, fe dd'wedodd Mam mai digon yw digon, roedd hi'n gweld trwyddo fe, ac yn trio fy argyhoeddi i ei fod e'n ddylanwad drwg," meddai.
"Ond dw i mor benderfynol, wnes i benderfynu peidio gwrando a symud mas gydag e i fyw yn rhywle arall."
Mae Stacey'n difaru gadael ei swydd er mwyn bod gyda'i phartner yn gyson: "Yn sydyn iawn, doedd gen i ddim ffrindiau, dim teulu, dim arian."
Roedd hi'n ddall i'w reolaeth drosti ar y pryd meddai ond yn ymwybodol erbyn hyn o'i alcoholiaeth ac yn teimlo y gallai ei helpu.
Dechreuodd pethau edrych yn well am gyfnod wedi i'w phartner gael swydd a rhoi'r gorau i yfed.
Ond fe newidiodd pethau eto pan gollodd ei swydd, dioddef iselder mawr a bwrw'r botel eto.
"Yn sobor, roedd e'n lyfli, ond yn feddw, roedd e'n ofnadwy," meddai.
"Dw i'n cofio'r diwrnod pan aeth e mor feddw, es i i weld ffrind yng Nghaerfyrddin, ac fe aeth e'n wallgo'. Ro'n i'n feichiog, dim ond mis oedd i fynd tan fod y babi fod i gyrraedd.
"Doedd e ddim yn hapus fy mod i wedi mynd, ac fe wnaeth e drio fy ngwthio i lawr grisiau serth ger arhosfan bysiau.
"Yr eiliad yma, ro'n i'n gwybod. Doedd hyn ddim yn iawn o gwbl, ac roedd rhaid dianc."
Symudodd yn ôl at ei mam, ond doedd bywyd ddim yn hawdd o hyd, meddai.
"Roedd yna lawer iawn o gam-drin meddyliol, a guilt tripping, ac yn sydyn iawn dyma fi'n ffeindio fy hun yn ôl yn ei freichiau.
"Cafodd fy merch fach ei geni, ac fe dawelodd y storm am ychydig, ac fe wnaethon ni balu ymlaen.
"Ond roedd ei broblemau yn dal i fod yno, ac yn y diwedd, roedd e'n cam-drin ei hun, yn torri ei hun, ac un tro roedd rhaid i mi a fy mabi bach un mis oed fynd ag e i'r ysbyty.
"Ar y pryd, ro'n i'n teimlo ei bod hi mor bwysig i fi aros gyda thad fy mhlentyn, er ei mwyn hi. Erbyn hyn hefyd, ro'n i'n disgwyl ein hail blentyn."
Ond sylweddolodd Stacey yn y pen-draw nad oedd eisiau aros yn y fath awyrgylch ac fe adawodd eto: "Yr holl gam-drin, y tymer gwyllt. Roedd e mor annheg ar fy mhlant i."
Mae'r hyn a ddigwyddodd ar ddiwrnod cynta'r flwyddyn yn 2013 wedi gadael craith ar ei meddwl sydd heb iacháu, meddai.
"Dw i'n teimlo ei fod e'n fy mygwth i, mae e wastad yna fel petai. Dw i'n dioddef o or-bryder ac yn cael pyliau o banig yn gyson. Dw i'n teimlo'n euog, ac yn teimlo fel pe bawn i wedi methu fel rhiant," meddai.
Ond dydy Stacey ddim yn teimlo y byddai hi wedi gallu stopio'r weithred:
"Roedd e wedi dioddef o iselder am flynyddoedd ac wedi trio cyflawni hunanladdiad gwpwl o weithiau'n aflwyddiannus," meddai.
"Roedd ei freichiau'n llawn o farciau ac, wrth gwrs, roedd yr alcoholiaeth yn broblem fawr.
"Roedd e'n ddyn anhapus iawn, ac roedd e wedi trio meddyginiaeth, ac wedi bod at y doctor. Wnaeth dim byd weithio, doedd e ddim eisiau derbyn unrhyw gymorth."
Mae'r hunllef yn dal i fod yn fyw iawn iddi, ac mae'r ffaith nad yw ei phlant yn gwybod yr hanes yn bryder mawr iddi.
"Dw i wir ddim yn edrych ymlaen at y diwrnod pan fydd rhaid i mi ddweud wrth fy mhlant. Dy'n nhw ddim yn gwybod dim am yr hanes, nac am eu tad.
"Dyw bywyd ddim yn hawdd o gwbl. Mae'r euogrwydd dw i'n ei deimlo yn uffernol, yn fy mwyta i'n fyw, a dw i'n poeni'n fawr y bydd fy mhlant yn dal hyn yn fy erbyn i pan fyddan nhw'n hŷn.
"Yr unig beth dw i'n falch ohono yw fy mod i wedi llwyddo i ddianc, a'u bod nhw ddim wedi gorfod wynebu'r un pethau wnes i eu goddef."
Stori: Llinos Dafydd


A report commissioned by the Scottish government has said that denominational schools are not the cause of sectarianism.

It found that debates about schooling often become "sterile conversations".
The working group, set up by minister Roseanna Cunningham, called on schools to create "imaginative anti-sectarian partnerships".
Their report also calls for new penalties for football clubs where sectarianism persists.
Dr Duncan Morrow, who chaired the group, said Scotland is "weary of the lingering impact of sectarianism".
In his introduction, he writes: "It is, perhaps, not surprising that the deep-rootedness of sectarianism in Scotland has led to a culture which fluctuates between silence and sensationalism, while other equality issues have been driven forward in a more holistic and coordinated way.
"But what has been obvious to us is that sectarianism has had its day in Scotland, and there is an increasingly large groundswell of people who are tired of its worn-out rhetoric and the way in which it manifests itself in exclusionary and confrontational behaviour."
The report found that many of those involved in sectarianism are "not necessarily active members of a faith community".
It adds: "What remains is largely the belief or perception that the 'them' and 'us' opposition is still alive and well and the negative consequences of that world view."
"Three assumptions need to be challenged: that sectarianism can simply be equated with overtly aggressive bigotry; that it is entirely the same as anti-Catholicism; and that it is entirely the same as anti-Irish racism.
"The adoption of any of these could lead to a simplistic understanding of sectarianism in Scotland which serves to enhance the unhealthy and unhelpful 'them' and 'us' opposition."
In its findings, the working group said "many senior and influential people across Scottish society" had failed to show the leadership required to tackle the problem.
It recommended a challenge to "the environment of friendly indulgence or passive acceptance of sectarian 'banter'" similar to the firmer approaches adopted to racism, gender inequality and homophobia.
It went on call on local authorities to address problems of sectarianism with "conviction and confidence".
On marches and parades, the working group said it recognised the right to political and cultural expression.
But it stressed: "No rights are absolute in themselves and they should always be enjoyed with regard to the impact they have on others."
On sectarianism associated with football clubs, the report said Scottish football's governing bodies should introduce a system of penalties along the lines of the Uefa anti-racism guidelines.
On the issue of denominational schools, the report found: "We do not believe that sectarianism stems from, or is the responsibility of, denominational schooling, or, specifically, Catholic schools, nor that sectarianism would be eradicated by closing such institutions."
It added: "All schools should be encouraged to create imaginative anti-sectarian partnerships and develop opportunities for pupils to share classes and facilities."
Ms Cunningham, the Scottish minister for community safety, said: "It is a challenging report for all of us all across Scottish society - government, local authorities, community organisations, clubs and fans alike - and we have a duty to consider its recommendations carefully."
She added: ""We welcome the fact that the report recognises there is a great deal of hope for the future and that Scottish society is more than capable of tackling this issue.
"I look forward to studying the report in detail before responding formally in the new year."
The findings of the report have been welcomed by the campaign group Nil by Mouth.
The campaign's director Dave Scott said: "We know from the hundreds of workshops and events we've been involved in over the last 13 years that this problem runs much deeper than football.
"Education is key to eradicating sectarianism and pioneering work is being done in schools in areas such as Armadale, Rutherglen and East Kilbride.
"It is, however, disappointing that the Old Firm clubs didn't engage with the group."


A data breach at retailer Sports Direct last year was reported to the Information Commissioner's Office but not to staff whose data may have been compromised, according to reports.

The ICO confirmed to the BBC that it was "aware of an incident" and was making enquiries.
According to technology website The Register, the breach in September saw employees' unencrypted data stolen.
A spokesman for Sports Direct would not be drawn on the details of the breach.
"We cannot comment on operational matters in relation to cybersecurity for obvious reasons," he told the BBC.
"It is our policy to continually upgrade and improve our systems, and where appropriate we keep the relevant authorities informed," he added.
The Register was told by "an inside source" that a hacker had attacked a system that Sports Direct used to run a staff portal.
New regulations coming from the EU will require companies to declare a data breach within 72 hours.
According to the ICO's current guidelines, it is important companies notify "individuals who may have been affected" to allow them "to take steps steps to protect themselves".
Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner told the BBC: "Sports Direct workers will be anxious to know what personal details have been hacked in this apparently serious data breach and why they weren't immediately informed about it by their employer.
"This is potentially sensitive and personal information such as national insurance numbers and bank details that we're talking about.
"It's completely unacceptable that the workers affected appear not to have been informed and the data breach swept under the carpet."
The union has contacted Sports Direct to clarify what happened in the breach, but urged staff to check their financial records, change passwords and report any suspicious activity.
Dr Jamie Greaves, chief executive at cybersecurity company ZoneFox told the BBC: "The way Sports Direct has handled their data breach last year is a perfect example of how not to deal with a cyber-attack.
"Keeping their 30,000-strong workforce in the dark for over a year is simply unacceptable."
It is not the first time Sports Direct has been criticised for how it treats its staff.
The chairman of the government's Business, Innovation and Skills committee Iain Wright suggested that Sports Direct's working practices were "closer to that of a Victorian workhouse than that of a modern, reputable high street retailer".
The company has also been investigated over staff being paid below the minimum wage.


Crystal Palace have signed Chelsea and England Under-21 midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek on loan until the end of the season.

The 22-year-old, who has made 32 career appearances for the Blues, is Frank de Boer's first signing since taking charge last month.
"Palace have a very strong team and I'd like to be a part of that this season," said Loftus-Cheek.
"I live not too far away, I was born in Lewisham and Palace are a good club."
Loftus-Cheek made three league appearance when Chelsea won the title in 2014-15 and six substitute appearance when they were champions again in 2016-17.
De Boer's side begin their season with a home fixture against promoted Huddersfield Town on 12 August.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Dogs could be banned from some public spaces in Flintshire in a bid to tackle fouling and pets running loose.

The proposed Dog Control Public Spaces Protection Order would exclude dogs from sports pitches and children's play areas.
Owners could also be required to put their pets on leads in areas including cemeteries and to carry dog waste bags at all times.
If passed, anyone found breaching the order would be fined.
The proposals include:
The order, which would last for three years, would replace the council's current Dog Control Order.
Chris Bithell, cabinet member for planning and public protection, said: "Of course, it's important to exercise our pets, but we also need to make sure that other members of the public can use our public spaces safely and free from dog waste."
A consultation on the plans runs from 1 to 29 June.


A US warship has sailed close to an artificial island built by China in the South China Sea, the first challenge to Beijing's claim to the waters since President Donald Trump took office.

According to unnamed sources cited by US media, the USS Dewey passed within 12 nautical miles of Mischief Reef.
China said the US vessel had entered its waters "without permission" and its navy had warned it to leave.
The US insists it can conduct operations in any international waters.
It says it does not take sides in territorial disputes, but has sent military ships and planes near disputed islands in the past, calling them "freedom of navigation" operations to ensure access to key shipping and air routes.
It has also repeatedly criticised what it sees as Beijing's efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea, including reefs and islands also claimed by other nations.
Foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang condemned the US move.
"The act damaged China's sovereignty and security interests, and could have easily led to an air or sea accident," he told reporters.
"[China] resolutely opposes any country sailing or flying freely that could pose damage to China's sovereignty and security interests. At present, through the joint efforts of China and Asean countries, the South China Sea situation has cooled down.
"The acts of the United States have seriously disrupted the process of dialogue and consultation."
China has been causing alarm in the region by building up South China Sea reefs and islets into artificial islands and installing some military positions.
Both the US and China have accused each other of "militarising" the South China Sea and there are concerns the area is becoming a flashpoint with potentially serious global consequences.
Last year, an international tribunal rejected China's claims to the area, in a case brought by the Philippines.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration said there was no evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the waters or resources within its "nine-dash line".
China rejected the ruling as "ill-founded" and said it would not be bound by it.
The latest US manoeuvre is likely to weigh on US-China relations as the Trump administration is seeking Beijing's co-operation to deal with North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
Earlier this month, Chinese fighter jets intercepted a US aircraft which, according to US military officials, was on a mission to detect radiation in international airspace.
China did not comment on that particular incident - it has in the past accused the US of carrying out reconnaissance flights over Chinese coastal waters.