Facebook has indexed almost two trillion posts put on the site by its members to make it easier to find them.

The change means that many older posts will now be added to results when people search for news or information.
The move is being seen as part of Facebook's attempts to keep people on the site rather than go elsewhere to keep up to date with events.
It said options were available for people that did not want their older posts to be more widely accessible.
Tom Stocky, Facebook's head of search, said in a blog post that many people already turned to Facebook when trying to find out how friends and family were reacting to world events. About 1.5 billion searches are carried out on Facebook every day, he said.
The changes that Facebook has introduced will mean members of the social network will now also see posts by strangers alongside those from news organisations and people closest to them.
"Search results are organised to help you cut through the noise and quickly understand what the world is saying about a topic in the moment," said Mr Stocky.
The post also detailed what Facebook users can do to limit who sees the older posts they shared.
Currently the expanded search results are only available to Facebook members in the US.
The move puts Facebook into direct competition with Twitter which recently introduced a similar system called Moments, said Caitlin McGarry on PC World.
"Facebook has a much wider audience than Twitter," said Ms McGarry. "so Facebook's potential reach for its search tools is exponentially larger."


One of Greece's most wanted men has been arrested after a shootout in central Athens.

The left-wing militant Nikos Maziotis was wounded along with a policeman and two bystanders, after allegedly taking part in an attempted robbery.
Maziotis led the anarchist movement Revolutionary Struggle, designated a terrorist group by the EU and US.
A 1m-euro ($1.3m; Â£800,000) bounty was put on his head after he disappeared in 2012.
Nikos Maziotis disappeared after conditional release from pre-trial detention in 2012. He was sentenced in absentia to 25 years for attacks by his group including on the US embassy and an Athens courthouse.
In April this year, Revolutionary Struggle claimed responsibility for a car bomb outside the Bank of Greece. It is one of a handful of home-grown anarchist groups here that, in recent years, have targeted political party offices and international figures.
The deadliest was the so-called November 17 movement, which assassinated more than 20 people including the CIA chief in Athens and the British military attache. One of its leaders escaped prison earlier this year and is still at large.
On Wednesday lunchtime Maziotis reportedly tried to rob a shop in central Athens whilst wearing a disguise.
After a policeman demanded his identity card, he opened fire, attempting to flee. The police shot back and captured him.
The shootout began in the crowded Monastiraki district, steps away from the city's central Syntagma Square.
Maziotis has been on the run since he was convicted last year of involvement in attacks in Greece organised by Revolutionary Struggle.
The left-wing militant group is best known for bombing the Athens stock exchange in 2003 and firing a rocket-propelled grenade at the American embassy in 2007.


Kim Kardashian's chart-topping Kimoji web icons are facing new competition from a set of emojis mocking North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The "Kimunji" series features Mr Kim and his father and grandfather, as well as missiles and atomic blasts.
US-based web designer Ben Gillin said his main aim in creating the Kimunji was to mock the "terrible" Kimoji, which he said were damaging to society.
But he told the BBC he also hoped it got people talking about North Korea.
"Kim Jong-un is obviously a terrible person, but in some respects what the Kimoji app is doing to society is also terrible," he said.
Kim Kardashian's Kimoji app - which has more than 500 icons of her, her products and possessions as well as sketches of her more famous body parts, for people to use online - became the top-selling app on iTunes when it went on sale late last year.
Mr Gillin, who lives in Houston, Texas, told the BBC it "blew his mind".
"The content is terrible - I imagine little kids using it. It's ending up in their hands, advancing their minds in certain ways," he said.
He and his wife were laughing about how absurd it would be if Kim Jong-un did the same, he said. Then when an update to Kardashian's app was released at the weekend and at the same time North Korea broke UN sanctions by launching a satellite on a ballistic missile, he spent four hours making up the Kimunji before posting them online for free use.
The icons are based on the "news or fears that we have" about North Korea, he said.
There is one showing Mr Kim crying - which is strikingly similar to one of the more popular Kimoji - and others of Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung, from whom Mr Kim inherited leadership of the repressive and secretive nuclear-armed country.
One of the icons shows US basketball player Dennis Rodman, a friend of Mr Kim's who has controversially visited North Korea several times.
That, said Mr Gillin, was "just funny on its own".
He said the Kimunji probably wouldn't have been so widely shared online as they have if he'd drawn on some of the darker sides of North Korea, like its labour camps and starvation.
"In no way do I want to downplay the human rights violations in North Korea - that's super serious and oftentimes overlooked," he said.
"But if my joke makes people look at it in a serious fashion, or look at it at all, then at least they've looked at it."
He also said he wasn't too concerned about angering Kim Jong-un, pointing out that the cast and crew behind The Interview - the satirical film about a plot to assassinate Mr Kim - were "still alive" despite North Korea's furious reaction.
If Kim Kardashian and her husband Kanye West were angry, he said, "that's more funny than it is scary".
"But I don't think they'll let it detract from their business goals."


The victim of the attack in Woolwich was targeted because he was a soldier, wearing a T-shirt from the military charity Help For Heroes.

Members of the armed forces have been advised to take greater care over their own personal security in the aftermath of this attack.
Last night military chiefs ordered security be tightened at the 10 main military barracks or bases in and around London.
But early advice to conceal their uniform in public places, especially if alone, has since been relaxed.
In London on Thursday, the chief of the defence staff, Gen Sir David Richards, said: "Our first thoughts inevitably are with the soldier's family and close friends.
"It's always a tragedy, and it's particularly poignant that it happened on the streets of this capital city of ours, but there is where our first thoughts lie.
"At the same time... we are absolutely determined not to be intimidated into not doing the right thing.
"Whether that is here or in Afghanistan, or wherever we seek seek to serve the nation.
"So it has, if anything, reinforced our determination to do the right thing."
He emphasised the armed forces would not retreat from public view as a result of the tragedy.
"This was outside the base and I am confident that security is as tight as it has ever been.
"It is a very difficult balancing act.
"We are very proud of the uniform we wear, and there is no reason we should not use wear our uniforms with pride - but on a common-sense basis."
Armed forces personnel based in London and elsewhere are being more vigilant today.
In recent years, the Royal Navy, the Army and the RAF have been encouraged to take a higher public profile.
That included allowing their personnel to wear uniform outside their bases, as they did at the London Olympics last year.
That had been strongly discouraged in the 1970s and 80s in particular, when IRA attacks on the mainland were a real threat.
However, since British forces intervened in Iraq and Afghanistan, service personnel and their families have been well aware they might be targets at home.
In recent years two groups in the UK have been jailed after considering targeting soldiers.


Millions of pounds are being wasted on unused fire engines and unoccupied new control centres as part of a revamp of the fire service, the BBC has learned.

Nine new regional control rooms were built in England as part of a £423m project to regionalise the service.
But the centres are standing empty, at a cost of £1m rent a month, because of problems with their computers and may now not all be needed.
The coalition government has decided not to proceed with regionalisation.
BBC Radio Four's Face the Facts also found that expensive equipment bought by fire brigades to replace current engines remained unused.
The nine regional centres were built as part of plans to replace 46 local fire control rooms in England, with an original budget of £70m, and create a national interlinked service that could direct fire brigades to the scenes of large emergencies more easily.
However, under new coalition government plans, the 46 local centres will still be replaced, but there will no longer be regionalised local fire brigades; instead they will remain under local control.
The nine centres have been standing empty for up to three years because of problems in developing their computer systems.
The monthly rent for the empty buildings is costing taxpayers £1m a month, and they will not be all in use until 2013, sending the programme more than £350m over budget.
Defence contractor EADS was hired in 2007 to install the computer systems in the centres, as well as in 1,400 fire stations and 3,400 fire engines, providing an interlinked response service.
Labour MP Clive Betts, the current chairman of the Commons communities and local government select committee that has investigated the delays, said the project had been "almost an unmitigated disaster throughout the course of its life".
"But the reality was that, when you consider cancellation costs, it was less costly to continue with it than it was to cancel it," he said.
The select committee criticised the government for having a high turnover of staff working on the project and a reliance on consultants.
John McDonnell MP, chairman of the Fire Brigades Union parliamentary group, agreed that the waste could have been prevented.
The planned nine regional centres and the 46 local fire and rescue service control rooms to be regionalised:
"It is almost Yes Minister-ish. It is very difficult for senior civil servants, ministers and secretaries of state to admit they have made a mistake," he said.
"What usually happens is rather than admit a mistake they throw more money at it and try to save the phenomenon."
EADS admitted the project had "birth pangs", but said it was now on course.
As part of money-saving proposals, EADS has recommended that the project could be carried out using fewer regional centres.
Its chief executive Robin Southwell said: "We believe the number can come down significantly, saving maybe hundreds of millions of pounds.
"Any of those buildings not being used could be adapted for other uses."
The government has so far not responded to EADS' proposals.
BBC Radio Four's Face the Facts also found that some brigades in the UK are selling unused, brand new fire engines.
Central Scotland fire brigade bought two combined aerial rescue pumps (Carp engines) in 2008 at £400,000 each, which it later found were too heavy for UK roads.
Chief fire officer for Central Scotland Kenny Taylor said: "Very early on it became clear there was a problem. When the engine became kitted it was substantially overweight."
Central Scotland has now put the engines up for sale on the internet at just under 300,000 euros (£246,000) each.
The manufacturers are in dispute with the fire brigade, saying the vehicles were made to the right specification. They believe they are not being used because of internal problems in the fire brigade.
They suggested a solution for the use of the vehicles, but have not had a response.
But other brigades have had problems with this type of new vehicle, supplied by different manufacturers.
Humberside fire brigade spent almost £60,000 converting its Carp engine back to a single rescue platform fire engine and does not know when it will come into service.
South Yorkshire, which brought four Carps in 2008, has sent them to the Netherlands for £600,000 worth of remedial work. The manufacturers of its vehicles have gone into administration.
The fire minister Bob Neill told Face the Facts: "The government is committed to ensuring value-for-money for the taxpayer and better procurement is vital."
The president of the Chief Fire Officers' Association, John Bonney,  is frustrated, blaming the government and contractors.
"There has got to be a bit of a knocking of heads together," he said.
"It is not just money but it's been investment of a lot of time and energy by the fire and rescue service. We feel exhausted and disappointed.
"Unfortunately, certainly at the early stages...  it became a discussion between the primary contractor and government officials rather than the professionals."
Listen to Face the Facts on BBC Radio 4 at 1230 BST, on Thursday, 26 August, repeated at 2100 BST on Sunday, 29 August, or on BBC iPlayer


A video posted online claims to show that Islamic State militants have killed the captured US aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig.

The video shows a masked man standing over a severed head which he says is that of Mr Kassig.
The US says it is working to determine the authenticity of the video, which also shows a mass beheading of 18 Syrian troops.
Mr Kassig, also known as Peter, was captured last year.
His family, who live in the US state of Indiana, said they were awaiting confirmation of the reports about their "treasured son".
"We prefer our son is written about and remembered for his important work and the love he shared with friends and family, not in the manner the hostage takers would use to manipulate Americans and further their cause," the family said in a statement.
This is perhaps the most elaborate and graphic of all the murder videos posted online by IS. Much of it is taken up with a recent history lesson on Iraq and Syria as seen through the eyes of the jihadists. But the latter part shows the beheading of 18 Syrian prisoners in revolting, lingering detail.
Unlike earlier videos, this one revels in gore. Amongst the boiler-suited captives murdered in cold blood is a man IS says is the former US soldier Peter Kassig, who converted to Islam and changed his name to Abdul-Rahman.
Neither his conversion, nor the fact that he was helping refugees when he was captured a year ago, appear to have saved him.
Mr Kassig's murder is a sign of frustration that IS militants are unable to hit back at the coalition air strikes that have driven them off key sites like the Mosul and Haditha dams, and prevented them from seizing the town of Kobane.
An idealist 'simply trying to help people'
Abdul-Rahman Kassig in his own words
Unlike similar videos released in the past, the latest shows the faces of many of the jihadis. It also at one point gives a specific location - near Dabiq in Aleppo province, with an identifiable village in the background.
The latest video did not show the person identified as Mr Kassig being beheaded. Also unlike previous videos, it did not show other Western captives or directly threaten to behead anyone else.
The US National Security Council said it was investigating the video, and would be "appalled by the brutal murder" if it was confirmed.
IS has previously murdered four Western hostages - British men Alan Henning and David Haines, and US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.
Those killings were carried out by a man believed to be British. That man bears a resemblance to one of the masked militants pictured in the video purporting to show Mr Kassig.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "horrified by the cold-blooded murder" and that Islamic State had "again shown their depravity".
Mr Kassig's parents last month released extracts of a letter written by their son, in which he said the "stress and fear" of captivity were "incredible".
"They tell us you have abandoned us and/or don't care but of course we know you are doing everything you can and more.
"Don't worry Dad, if I do go down, I won't go thinking anything but what I know to be true. That you and mom love me more than the moon and the stars."
Mr Kassig was a former US Army Ranger who served in Iraq.
He later trained as an emergency medical technician and founded the Special Emergency Response and Assistance (Sera) organisation, helping to supply camps on both sides of the Syrian border.
He was undertaking a project for Sera when he was captured in October 2013 while travelling to eastern Syria.
The exiled leader of Syria's opposition National Coalition, Hadi al-Bahra, said in a statement Mr Kassig would be remembered as a hero.
"Kassig paid the ultimate sacrifice trying to relieve the suffering of his fellow human beings far away from home. The thugs of Isis will pay the price for their evil crimes," he said.


Surrey seamer David Balcombe has retired from professional cricket in order to take up a role with the Kevin Pietersen Foundation.

The 31-year-old made his first-class debut for Durham UCCE in 2005 and spent eight years with Hampshire before joining Surrey at the end of 2014.
Balcombe signed a two-year deal with Surrey but did not make a first-team appearance for The Oval side.
He took 196 wickets at an average of 32.83 in 67 first-class appearances.
The right-armer's best bowling figures came when he took 8-71 for Hampshire in the first innings against Gloucestershire in April 2012, and he added a further three wickets in the second innings to give him a best match haul of 11-119.
"To play professional cricket was a dream come true and I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute," he said.
"I have made lifelong friends, experienced some wonderful career moments and it provided me with 10 seasons of immense enjoyment."


A private hospital in Glasgow has been criticised for not setting out its charges clearly enough.

Inspectors from Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) found that half of all complaints to Ross Hall Hospital this year were about financial matters.
HIS said costs should be clearer and patients should be made aware they could complain to outside bodies.
Hospital operator, BMI Healthcare, said it was "implementing an action plan" to address concerns about complaints.
Inspectors carried out an unannounced inspection to Ross Hall on 10 July 2012.
Overall, the private hospital scored well, achieving five "very good" ratings for quality of staffing, five "very good" ratings for quality of environment and four "good" ratings for quality of information.
One "weak" rating, however, was recorded for quality of care and support at the hospital.
In their report, inspectors noted: "The hospital complaints policy describes how Ross Hall Hospital should ensure that complaints are investigated and resolved.
"However, we found that the policy does not make clear that people who use the service are able to raise their concerns with Healthcare Improvement Scotland independently."
Inspectors said that on reviewing the hospital's complaints log they found that 53 complaints were made between January and July 2012 - 26 of which related to financial matters.
"This included confusion about charges and a lack of communication about additional charges," inspectors said.
"Within these 26 complaints, we found that seven complaints had not been resolved within the expected 20 working days from the date the complaint was received.
"We noted one particular example where a person who used the service had paid for their treatment but had further additional payments debited from their bank account one year after the treatment had taken place and been paid for."
Inspectors said that this complaint had "remained unresolved for over a year".
They added: "The records we reviewed showed that staff at the hospital have not followed their own complaints policy."
It concluded: "We are concerned that Ross Hall Hospital does not currently audit its own complaints process.
"This would allow the provider to identify common themes of patient dissatisfaction and effectively monitor its own performance.
"We have concluded that the service needs to have a structured and planned approach to managing complaints."
A spokesman for BMI Healthcare said: "We are pleased that the HIS report found that all but one of the areas inspected were good or very good.
"We have a robust complaints policy in place and aim to resolve any patient issues quickly.
"However, we note the concerns raised by HIS about the management of a small number of complaints and confirm that we are currently implementing an action plan to ensure that all complaints are dealt with to the same high standards commonly applied."
The spokesman said that the most recent patient satisfaction results from the hospital showed "that 99.6% judged their overall quality of care as very good or excellent".


Ethiopian athlete Feyisa Lilesa caught the world's attention when he raised his arms in solidarity with the Oromo people as he crossed the finishing line at the Rio Olympic games.

4 January 2017 Last updated at 12:29 GMT
Five months later, now living in exile in the US, he's been telling the BBC's Julian Keane about the price he has had to pay for speaking out.


A man has been jailed for more than two years after he tried to stab police officers with a large bread knife.

Officers attending a domestic abuse incident had to tackle Steven Welsh, 41, with CS spray when he launched the attack.
The incident happened at Welsh's home in Tweedsmuir Road, Perth, on 11 July last year.
He admitted attacking PCs Craig Gardner and Aly Khan by running at them and trying to strike them with a knife.
At Perth Sherriff Court the father-of-two also admitted attacking his then partner Lucy Poynter by pushing her and causing her to fall, causing her an injury.
After noting that Welsh had a 24-year criminal career and a recent history of violence and knife crime, Sheriff Lindsay Foulis  jailed him for a total of 26 months.
Fiscal depute Sue Ruta told the court that when police arrived at the house the front door was locked and Welsh was seen lying on the living room floor not moving. He ignored a sergeant's attempts to speak to him and then became aggressive.
As officers opened the back door they saw Welsh had a large knife.
"The accused then brandished the knife above his head at the constables," Ms Ruta said. "He came running into the communal garden towards the officers.
"He was holding the knife above his head and making a downward stabbing motion with it. He was attempting to strike the officers with the knife."
She said one officer discharged CS spray into the accused's face. He then ran back into the house and locked the door.
She told the court Welsh then placed the knife on a window sill and clutched his face before falling to the floor as the effects of the CS spray took hold.
Police officers were then able to get in through a window and arrest him.
The court was told his former girlfriend Lucy Poynter had found Welsh asleep on the sofa and when she woke him up, he chased her out of his home and pushed her to the ground.
Welsh blamed her for provoking him by showing him track marks on her arm and revealing that she had returned to abusing heroin. He said she had also been too drunk to get into the pub with him.


Chelsea have appointed Italy boss Antonio Conte as their new first-team head coach, starting from this summer.

Media playback is not supported on this device
The 46-year-old former Juventus boss will begin a three-year contract after his country takes part in Euro 2016.
"I am proud to be the coach of the national team of my country and only a role as attractive as manager of Chelsea could follow that," he said.
Guus Hiddink, who replaced the sacked Jose Mourinho, will remain in charge of the Blues until the end of the season.
The final of Euro 2016 takes place on 10 July.
Conte, who won the Serie A title in each of his three years as Juventus boss, is the fifth Italian to manage Chelsea, following Gianluca Vialli, Claudio Ranieri, Carlo Ancelotti and Roberto di Matteo.
"We are very pleased to have recruited one of the most highly regarded managers in world football," said club director Marina Granovskaia.
"We are equally pleased to do so before the end of the current season. This aids our future planning."
Conte has the task of rebuilding a side that won the Premier League title last season before imploding this term.
Mourinho's second spell came to an end on 17 December after a miserable start to the season and what Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo described as "palpable discord" between the Portuguese and his players.
Hiddink restored stability in his second interim spell as boss - the Blues are 10th with seven games to go - but Chelsea will fail to win a trophy and are set to miss out on Champions League football next season.
His stats - courtesy of Opta - make impressive reading:
Former Juventus player Andrea Pirlo wrote this in his autobiography: "Even when we're winning, Conte comes in and hurls against the wall (and thus my little corner).
"Anything he can lay his hands on... almost always full bottles of water. Fizzy water. Very fizzy water."
When Conte speaks "his words assault you", says Pirlo, adding: "They crash through the doors of your mind, often quite violently, and settle deep within you."
Conte may have "some problems" adjusting to English football but his appointment will prove to be a "good decision", says former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini.
"It is difficult when a manager changes championships," Mancini, now in charge at Inter Milan, told BBC Sport.
"It is important that he knows the league very well and very quickly. Probably he could have some problems at the start of his job."
Conte is a former Italy midfielder who made more than 400 appearances for Juventus, winning five league titles and a Champions League.
He won 20 caps for his country and was part of the squad beaten by France in the final of Euro 2000.
After spells coaching Arezzo, Bari, Atalanta and Siena, Conte returned to Juve in 2011, guiding them to the Serie A title at the first attempt.
However, he was then charged with failing to report attempted match-fixing during his time as coach of Siena.
Conte pleaded his innocence but was banned for 10 months - a sentence that was reduced to a four-month touchline suspension.
Juventus retained their title despite Conte's absence and won their third in succession the following season before his exit in 2014 to take over as Italy boss.
Despite serving that touchline ban, the issue remains an ongoing concern for the soon-to-be Chelsea manager.
Conte faces criminal proceedings after being accused of "sporting fraud", with a trial due to start in Italy this week.
Conte, who has always denied wrongdoing, is among 104 defendants.
He is likely to be fined if found guilty, according to his lawyer Leonardo Cammarata, who added Conte's reputation would be "seriously damaged".


China's state-owned bankcard association, China UnionPay, has joined forces with Apple to bring the US giant's electronic payment system, Apple Pay, to the mainland.

Apple Pay will roll out to China UnionPay cardholders as early as 2016, pending approvals, the firms said.
Shoppers around the world are being encouraged to use smartphones instead of cards to pay for in-store purchases.
Alibaba's Alipay currently dominates China's electronic payments market.
By 2017 it is estimated the global mobile payments market will be worth some $1tn (Â£650bn).
UnionPay's alliance with Apple is an extension of its plans to make the most of that growing market.
Executive vice president Chai Hongfeng said the firm would provide "secure, convenient mobile payment experiences for its hundreds of millions of cardholders, aligning multiple parties in the industry".
"We're very excited to offer Apple Pay among a diverse set of innovative payment options that work with China UnionPay QuickPass," Mr Chai said.
There has been a rapid take-up of smartphones in China, with an estimated 68% of the population now owning one - and digital wallets are becoming a more popular way to pay for goods and services.
On Thursday, British e-commerce tech firm Powa Technologies said it had formed a joint venture with UnionPay Network Payments which could generate $5bn (Â£3.3bn) in revenues over three years.
Powa's technology enables shoppers to pay for goods quickly in-store as well as online using their smartphones.
UnionPay Network Payments is owned by China UnionPay.
Pending approval from regulators, China UnionPay cardholders should be able to add their bankcards to Apple Pay on iPhones, iPads and Apple watches, the firms said.
UnionPay cards have been accepted in 150 countries and regions outside of China.
They can be used in more than 26 million merchants and at 1.9 million ATMs. More than five billion UnionPay cards have been issued in China and around the world so far.
The company has its headquarters in Shanghai and was launched in March 2002. Apple's pay facility was launched last year and so far only operates in the US and UK.
In addition to Apple Pay, Google's Android Pay is available at more than one million locations in the US, while Samsung Pay was launched in South Korea in August, followed by a launch in the US the following month.
PayPal also has a system for shoppers to pay for purchases digitally without using a card. It also allows users to send money to people with an email or mobile number.
Earlier this year, Apple extended its mobile wallet service to the UK, making it the first country outside the US to get the facility.
Other mobile wallet schemes include Barclays' Pingit and PayM which are used to send and receive money by using mobile numbers.
Visa's V.Me service allows users to store a range of credit card details securely online to help speed up internet purchases.


What’s Up Africa’s Ikenna Azuike is inspired by the crisis in South Sudan to imagine what it would be like to have warring neighbours in an upmarket Nairobi suburb in his 90-second satirical round-up of African news.

16 September 2016 Last updated at 19:02 BST


Actress Geena Davis has called for more women on screen and more challenging female roles in TV and film.

"We are unwittingly training generation after generation to see men and women as unequal," said Davis who was speaking on gender in media in London.
"Surely in the 21st century we should be showing kids that boys and girls should be sharing the sandbox equally?"
Davis, who founded a research institute into gender in media, called for "immediate and dramatic" change.
The Thelma & Louise star was the keynote speaker at an international symposium on gender in media, coinciding with this year's London Film Festival,.
The actress founded the Geena Davis Institute in 2004 after watching TV with her young daughter and observing there were "far fewer" female characters on screen.
"The ratio of male and female characters has been exactly the same since 1946," Davis lamented, with male roles outnumbering females by three to one in most children's film and TV shows.
"The more hours of TV a girl watches the fewer options she thinks she has, the more hours a boy watches, the more sexist he becomes," she said in her speech.
'Easy fix'
"Women are seriously under-represented in almost every sector of society across the world," she continued, but stressed that the entertainment industry was one of the few where that inequality could be redressed almost overnight.
"Make whatever you were going to make, and just put more women in it. Just cast more women."
Citing research that showed crowd scenes in films were often only 17% female, the 59-year-old actress argued that the solution was often an "easy fix"
"Everywhere I go, I bring that up and they say: 'Why are we doing that? Let's fix that right away!'"
"We can change what our future looks like," Davis told the audience.
Reflecting on her own career, which included an Oscar for the 1988 film The Accidental Tourist, Davis said she had "long been aware there are fewer great parts for women".
'Sweeping changes'
"Thelma & Louise changed the course of my life," she said. "It brought home to me in a very striking way how few opportunities we give women... to be empowered by the female characters they see on screen.
"Ever since that, I've made choices with that in mind, with the women in the audience in mind."
But she added: "I can only be this choosy because, so far, I have not run out of money yet. You can't be as fussy as all that unless you can afford to wait for good parts. If you read that I've signed on to play Sean Connery's comatose wife in a movie, you'll know I'm broke!"
She called on the industry to make "sweeping changes".
"I want reaching parity in films to seem fun and easy and creative. Give female characters more to do, more to say, greater aspirations... give them more clothes."
"I go directly to talk to the creators, the decision makers, and the response has been overwhelming. Lots of TV and movies have come out now that we know we have impacted."
"I feel very confident predicting that the needle will move significantly within the next few years, and it will be historic."


Great Britain's Greg Rutherford suffered an ankle injury at a meeting in Italy despite claiming victory in the long jump.

The London 2012 gold medallist, 30, jumped 7.95m in the third round in Gavardo - a meeting record - to beat Italy's Camillo Kabore (7.45m).
But Rutherford later tweeted: "Sadly not to be today. The ankle injury I've been dealing with hasn't held up.
"I think a hospital trip is in order for scans and treatment."
Rutherford won the Great City Games last weekend in Manchester as he recorded 8.18m with his final jump.
He is targeting a successful defence of his title at the World Athletics Championships in London in August, before defending his Commonwealth and European crowns in 2018.
Danny Talbot recorded a meeting record as he won the 200m in 20.31 seconds.
Reece Prescod won the men's 100m with a time of 10.11 and Daryll Neita took victory in the women's in 11.39.
Richard Kilty - third, men's 100m (10.18) and men's 200m (20.51)
Ojie Edoburun - fourth, men's 100m (10.20)
Thomas Somers - fourth, men's 200m (21.04)
Imani-Lara Lansiquot - third, women's 100m (11.48)
Serita Solomon - third, women's 100m hurdles (13.45)
Leah Barrow - fifth, women's 800m (2:07:69)


A woman who disposed of the shoes owned by her boyfriend after he stabbed a woman to death in a New Forest paddock has been sentenced.

Lian Doyle was given a 10-month term after admitted perverting the course of justice over the murder of Pennie Davis by Justin Robertson, last September.
Robertson, of no fixed address, was jailed for life on Tuesday.
Because of credit from time spent on remand, Doyle, of Beech Crescent, Hythe, was freed by the court.
The defendant had pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice before the six-week trial of Robertson and Carr at Winchester Crown Court.
Mrs Davis, 47, was found dead by her new husband in a field at Leygreen Farm near Beaulieu in the New Forest, where she had been tending to her horses.
Robinson was paid Â£1,500 by Benjamin Carr, 22, to "silence" his Mrs Davis, his former stepmother, after a long-running feud between the pair.
Carr, from Southampton, was convicted of conspiracy to murder and will serve a minimum of 30 years.
She had been stabbed 14 times in an attack described by trial judge Justice Andrew Popplewell QC as "particularly brutal".


A giant crack that first appeared on a cliff top on Dorset's Jurassic Coast a year ago has developed into a significant landslip.

The fissure on the South West Coast path between Bowleaze Cove and Redcliff Point first appeared last March.
The initial drop in the cracked section was just over 1m (3ft) but the land has since fallen away further.
Dorset County Council said the landslide was likely to continue for some time.
"Looking along this 300ft-long crack which last year had a six foot drop, now the drop must be at least 25 or 30 ft," BBC reporter at the scene Laurence Herdman said.
Sam Scriven, the county council's Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site earth science manager, said: "This landslide has progressed quite a lot since it began and the slipped material is now collapsing further.
"This is exactly what we would expect and it will continue for some time to come.
"As always, we would encourage people to not stand near the cliff edge, where the rocks might still be unstable, and take care when exploring the beach below as rock falls will be more common as a result of the slip."
The original drop in the cracked section was just over 1m (3ft), the coastguard said at the time.
Source: Dorset County Council/Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site


Hull Kingston Rovers climbed to fourth in Super League with a well-deserved victory over Hull FC in the 224th city derby at the KC Stadium.

Terry Campese gave the Robins the perfect start before the lively Kieran Dixon extended their lead.
Leon Pryce pulled a try back but Shaun Lunt crashed over just before the break to give Rovers an 18-6 half-time lead.
With the home side struggling to make chances, Rovers' Josh Mantellato kicked the only points of the second half.
Although points proved hard to come by after the break, the Robins remained well on top against a Hull FC side lacking confidence in possession and any sort of cutting edge.
Hull FC coach Lee Radford has his work cut out ahead of Monday's trip to St Helens after a display in which his side's attacking efforts were largely predictable and straightforward to repel.
By contrast, Hull KR were vibrant in attack, with Campese's opening score setting the tone after a fine run from Dixon set up the opportunity for the Australian stand-off to crash over.
Hull FC did put their rivals under pressure for a time but with a kicking game that was well below standard, the Robins absorbed their one-out attacks before cutting free to score a second through Dixon, who raced 30m to the line.
Dixon made an error as he spilled the ball while bringing it out of his in-goal area to allow Pryce to give Hull FC hope - although replays suggested the Hull KR man may have grounded the ball in the field of play.
But a poor error from Fetuli Talanoa, with the Hull FC winger knocking on a high ball, gifted a try for Lunt which put the visitors into a commanding lead.
A brief opening salvo aside, Hull FC never really got going as an attacking force in the second period and Rovers managed to keep their opponents at arm's length, with Mantellato's 57th-minute penalty putting his side three scores clear.
That task always looked beyond Hull FC, with the game over as a contest well before the final hooter went with the visitors again on the attack.
Hull FC coach Lee Radford told BBC Radio Humberside:
Media playback is not supported on this device
"It's hugely disappointing for the coach, the owner and the group.
"Possession-wise and territory-wise we bombarded them in the first half and they've come up with three sets down our end and scored three tries.
"We've got to be tougher on ourselves than that. You have to withstand that because if you keep the pressure on, the game swings in your favour and you get a result.
"At the moment we're crumbling when the first thing goes against us and that's something we have got to change."
Hull KR coach Chris Chester told BBC Radio Humberside:
Media playback is not supported on this device
"I thought we were dominant from minute one to minute 80, we kept turning up for each other defensively and we probably created enough opportunities to win two or three games.
"I was really pleased with the effort and commitment. It gives us a lot of confidence going into Monday and we're really happy.
"They put us under pressure but we forced them into some mistakes as well. Hull FC are a good side but we were just a bit better tonight."
Hull: Shaul, Lineham, Michaels, Logan, Talanoa, Pryce, Rankin, Paea, Houghton, Watts, Hadley, Minichiello, Westerman.
Replacements: Bowden, Paleaaesina, Thompson, Cunningham.
Hull KR: Dixon, Mantellato, Welham, Goulding, Sio, Campese, Kelly, Walker, Lunt, Allgood, Blair, Horne, McCarthy.
Replacements: Cockayne, Larroyer, Donaldson, Burke.
Att: 20,507
Referee: Richard Silverwood (RFL)


The Pentagon is considering transferring Private Chelsea Manning to a civilian prison in order to treat her gender dysphoria, US media report.

Pte Manning, formerly known as Bradley, was sentenced to 35 years in military prison for leaking a massive trove of classified US documents.
After the conviction, she announced the desire to live as a woman.
However, the US military prohibits transgender people from serving openly in the military.
Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman, confirmed to the New York Times that Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel had approved a request from the Army to "evaluate potential treatment options for inmates diagnosed with gender dysphoria".
The Associated Press news agency first reported the US military was weighing a potential transfer to civilian prison, citing unnamed Pentagon sources.
But on Wednesday, Rear Adm Kirby said no such decision had been been made yet.
"Any such decision will, of course, properly balance the soldier's medical needs with our obligation to ensure Pte Manning remains behind bars," he said.
A local judge in Leavenworth, Kansas, approved Pte Manning's name change request last month, a move the military did not oppose.
Pte Manning has been diagnosed by military doctors multiple times with gender dysphoria, the sense of one's gender being at odds with the sex assigned at birth.
But she has requested treatment, including hormone therapy, and the ability to live as a woman.
According to a complaint filed by Pte Manning's lawyer, a military doctor at Fort Leavenworth  - where she is being held - had approved a treatment plan by November 2013.
But it was delayed as it was sent higher up the chain of command for consideration.
The US military is required to treat diagnosed disorders of its soldiers but its policy allows summary dismissal of transgender people.
Mr Hagel has said the military policy on transgender soldiers "continually should be reviewed".
"Every qualified American who wants to serve our country should have an opportunity if they fit the qualifications and can do it," Mr Hagel said on Monday, but he did not say if he believed it should be overturned.
Despite this policy, a recent study by a US university estimated there were about 15,000 transgender people serving in the US armed forces.
Pte Manning will not be discharged from the military until she finishes her sentence. A judge recently denied a clemency request.
Transfers from military prisons to civilian Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities are not unprecedented, but they are usually done after the inmate has been discharged from the military.


Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is concerned defender Jan Vertonghen sustained a "bad" injury in the 4-0 Premier League win over West Brom.

The centre-back, 29, appeared to be in tears after turning his left ankle after half-time at White Hart Lane.
"We need to wait for tomorrow and Monday to assess him better. It looks bad," said Pochettino.
"He is disappointed and in a very difficult period but we will push him to recover quickly to try to help him."
Vertonghen has played 20 of Tottenham's 21 league matches this season, forming part of a defence that has conceded just 14 goals - the best record in the league.
Former England midfielder Danny Murphy: "Dele Alli did some magical things. There is nothing he can't do.
"He loves nutmegs… poor old Darren Fletcher. I didn't know he had this quality and vision… he just gets better every week. He's a wonderful talent."
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright: "Full-backs Danny Rose and Kyle Walker are just unbelievable. West Brom's Nacer Chadli had the thankless task of dealing with Rose, who is one of the best left-backs in Europe right now.
"When you have the insurance of midfielders Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama, Rose can go forward."
Spurs travel to Manchester City on 21 January and will do so buoyed by seven wins in a row, including one over leaders Chelsea on 4 January.
They are second in the table, although Liverpool and Manchester City could climb above them with victories on Sunday.
Pochettino's side capitulated in last season's title race, failing to win any of their last four games of the campaign, but the Argentine says Spurs are in "good position for big things".
"We are much better than last season," he said. "We are more mature.
"If you want to fight and challenge for big things we need to follow performances like Chelsea with this one. After Chelsea we feel confident, with a good energy."


Senegal international winger Ismaila Sarr says he rejected a move to Spanish giants Barcelona to sign for French side Stade Rennes.

The 19-year-old Teranga Lion has secured a four-year contract in a deal worth $20m (£15.2m) as he switched from rivals Metz.
"I could have gone to Spain and join the great Barcelona, but leaving Metz to join them was too early," he said.
"I saw Rennes as a club that will help me progress and reach great heights."
With just six caps for his country, Sarr has already been compared to former Rennes winger Ousmane Dembele, who now plays for Borussia Dortmund.
However the teenager is keen to create his own legacy.
"I still have to progress defensively, offensively with more flair, and be more decisive in my approach towards goal," he added.
"With Christian Gourcuff [Rennes manager], I am convinced that I will succeed."
Sarr helped AS Génération Foot progress from the second tier to the top flight of Senegalese League.
"I left Senegal a year ago to join Metz, I left my family there. I had to adapt to a new environment," he explained
"Today I am happy, my parents are proud of me. I only count every day as a chance to make the best out of my profession."
Born in Saint-Louis, Sarr moved to France last summer to join Metz on a five-year deal from Génération Foot and made his professional debut against Lille in August.
Despite his relative inexperience in the top flight of French football, Sarr made an explosive impact at Metz scoring five goals and producing five assists in 33 matches.
He made his international debut for Senegal at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon in January and played in all their group matches.
He was also involved when Senegal opened their 2019 Nations Cup qualifiers with a 3-0 home win against Equatorial Guinea in June.


Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has won the Edinburgh Central seat from the SNP.

Ms Davidson, who had previously been elected to Holyrood through the list, beat SNP candidate Alison Dickie by 610 votes.
She received 10,399 votes, an increase of 15% from 2011 when the Conservatives came fourth.
Speaking after her victory, Ms Davidson said: "I promise I will serve to the very best of my ability."
She told BBC Scotland that all the indications were that the Tories had "edged ahead" of Labour in the battle to become Scotland's main opposition.
"This is indicative of how voters can change and make a considered choice," she said of her victory in the Edinburgh Central seat.
"I am under no illusion that everybody who voted for me in that seat is a true-blue, dyed-in-the wool Tory, and neither are they in places up and down Scotland.
"They are people who want us to do a very specific job, and that it is to hold the SNP to account."
The Tories have also gained Aberdeenshire West from the SNP and Eastwood and Dumfriesshire from Labour.
Oliver Mundell, the son of Scottish Secretary David Mundell, won the Dumfriesshire seat, with 13,536 votes.
Labour's Elaine Murray, who had previously held the seat, dropped to third place behind the SNP candidate Joan McAlpine, who came second with 12,306 votes.
Twenty-six-year-old Mr Mundell has spoken of helping to deliver leaflets for his father at the age of just eight.
He joined the Scottish Conservatives in 2012 after being inspired by the leadership of Ruth Davidson.


Former heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill has formally been made a dame during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

19 April 2017 Last updated at 15:46 BST
The 31-year-old from Sheffield in South Yorkshire has received the honour for her services to athletics.
Dame Jessica, who won gold at London 2012 Olympics and silver four years later in Rio, announced her retirement from the sport in October.


US presidential hopeful Donald Trump has said it is a "great honour" to receive a compliment from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The property tycoon hailed Mr Putin as a man "highly respected within his own country and beyond".
It comes after Mr Putin said Mr Trump was a "very colourful, talented person" during his annual news conference.
The two men, both known for their blunt manner of speaking, do not know each other personally.
After hearing President Putin's comments on Thursday, Mr Trump released a statement praising the Russian leader.
"It is always a great honour to be so nicely complimented by a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond," he said.
"`I have always felt that Russia and the United States should be able to work well with each other towards defeating terrorism and restoring world peace, not to mention trade and all of the other benefits derived from mutual respect."
Mr Trump is currently widely regarded as the frontrunner in the race for the Republican presidential ticket, a race where other candidates have made no secret of their wariness of Mr Putin.
"I suppose [Putin] sympathises with Trump without knowing him well in person but he is following him closely, what he does and says, just because he is not a kind of usual Western politician," Alexander Baunov, an analyst at the Moscow Carnegie Center, told the Associated Press news agency.
President Putin made his remarks during his televised annual news conference at which he used crude language to lash out at Turkey, a Nato member and key US ally in the conflict in Syria.
But he had warm words for Mr Trump, telling viewers: "He says that he wants to move to another, closer level of relations. Can we really not welcome that? Of course we welcome that."
In October, Mr Trump told US TV network CBS that he and Mr Putin would "probably get along... very well".
During one presidential debate, he said: "If Putin wants to go and knock the hell out of ISIS [the Islamic State group], I am all for it, 100%, and I can't understand how anybody would be against it."
One of Mr Trump's rivals for the Republican ticket, Jeb Bush, criticised his response to the Russian leader's remarks on Thursday.
"A true freedom-loving conservative wouldn't be flattered by praise from a despot like Putin," he wrote on Twitter.
The cordiality between two of the world's most visible politicians was mocked in some quarters of the US media.
"The two men share a love for spectacle and an appreciation of its ability to move low-information voters," Christian Whiton wrote on CNN, while the New York Times detected a "long-distance bromance".


Hungary's largest broadsheet newspaper Nepszabadsag has stopped publication, with journalists and the opposition alleging government pressure.

Journalists said it was a "coup" - they were given notice after being stopped from entering the building on Saturday.
The owners said it followed declining sales. The governing party said it was "a rational economic decision".
Nepszabadsag has often criticised Prime Minister Viktor Orban. It opposed last weekend's referendum on refugees.
Mr Orban's government has often been accused of using public media as a government mouthpiece.
A number of private media outlets have also been bought by his allies, critics say.
The government-backed paper Magyar Idok echoes the government line that the closure was purely the result of economic factors, and that it would be "an infringement of the freedom of the press, if we were to have a say in the decisions of a media owner".
The pro-government news website Origo emphasises that the paper's closure was inevitable, given its plummeting circulation figures and serious financial losses.
However, the left-wing daily Nepszava says that, despite the government's claim that the decision to suspend Nepszabadsag was taken on purely economic grounds, many people will conclude that "today's move is a serious attack on press freedom and democracy".
A commentary by investigative journalist Pal Daniel Renyi on the independent news website 444.hu concludes: "No-one should be in any doubt that Nepszabadsag is the victim of a political manoeuvre."
Nepszabadsag is a leading centre-left daily. It is independent, but tends to support the left-leaning political opposition.
Nepszabadsag's shutdown includes its print and online versions.
A message posted on the paper's Facebook page described the move as a "coup".
"We are in shock. Of course they will try and paint this as a business decision but it's not the truth," a journalist who did not wish to be named told AFP news agency.
Many  said the suspension came days after the paper had broken stories of alleged corruption involving senior officials.
Opposition parties said the move showed Mr Orban wanted to suppress press freedoms in Hungary and to gain full control of the media.
The Socialist Party said it was a "black day for the press" and called a demonstration outside the paper's offices at 16:00 GMT.
Mediaworks, which bought Nepszabadsag in 2014, said that its circulation had tumbled by 74% in the last 10 years.


An early morning fire at a hospital in southern Taiwan has killed 12 patients and injured at least 60 more.

The fire swept through a nursing home inside the hospital in Tainan City that housed elderly and mostly bed-ridden patients.
A hospital official said the victims died of smoke inhalation. Injured residents were being treated at several different hospitals.
Police say they have arrested a man on suspicion of starting the fire.
Local reports say the man is a patient at the nursing home.
The nursing home housed more than 100 people, many of whom were on respirators and unable to move on their own.
"It was pitch black and the heavy smoke was unbearable, it's really horrifying," a person who escaped the fire told Taiwan's Central News Agency.
One 94-year-old woman had to use her wheelchair to escape the blaze, hiding on the second floor until rescuers found her, local media reported.
Thirty fire engines were sent to the blaze, which was extinguished by 04:16 local time (20:16 GMT), just over 45 minutes after it was reported, officials said.
Tainan Mayor Lai Ching-te said the hospital's remote location and the fact that most of the patients were unable to move on their own made the situation worse.
Firefighters arrived at the scene 10 minutes after the fire broke out, but because of the large number of patients nearby residents had to pitch in to help transport some of them to other hospitals, says the BBC's Cindy Sui in Taipei.
The fire is believed to be one of deadliest at a Taiwanese hospital and one of the most serious on the island in recent years, says our correspondent.
Premier Sean Chen said in a statement that he had sent condolences to the victims' families.


Cows have shown an "insane" and "mind-blowing" ability to tackle HIV which will help develop a vaccine, say US researchers.

In a first for immunisation, the animals rapidly produced special types of antibody that can neutralise HIV.
It is thought cows evolved a supreme immune defence due to their complex and bacteria-packed digestive system.
The US National Institutes of Health said the findings were of "great interest".
HIV is a slippery and nefarious opponent. It mutates so readily that every time a patient's immune system finds a way of attacking the virus, HIV shifts its appearance.
However, a small proportion of patients eventually develop "broadly neutralising antibodies" after years of infection. These attack parts the virus cannot change.
A vaccine that could train the immune system to make broadly neutralising antibodies should help prevent people being infected in the first place.
But no jab can do the job.
Then researchers at the International Aids Vaccine Initiative and the Scripps Research Institute tried immunising cows.
"The response blew our minds," Dr Devin Sok, one of the researchers, told the BBC News website.
The required antibodies were being produced by the cow's immune system in a matter of weeks.
Dr Sok added: "It was just insane how good it looked, in humans it takes three-to-five years to develop the antibodies we're talking about.
"This is really important because we hadn't been able to do it period.
"Who would have thought cow biology was making a significant contribution to HIV."
The results, published in the journal Nature, showed the cow's antibodies could neutralise 20% of HIV strains within 42 days.
By 381 days, they could neutralise 96% of strains tested in the lab.
Dr Dennis Burton, a fellow researcher, said: "The potent responses in this study are remarkable.
"Unlike human antibodies, cattle antibodies are more likely to bear unique features and gain an edge over HIV."
Unusually for human antibodies, the broadly neutralising ones have a long and loopy structure. Cow antibodies are inherently more long and loopy.
So the cow immune system finds making the antibodies easily.
It is thought the cow's "ruminant" digestive system which ferments grass in order to digest it is a Wild West of hostile bacteria. So the animals have developed the antibodies needed to keep them in check.
It means cattle could eventually become a source of drugs to make more effective vaginal microbicides to prevent HIV infection.
However, the real goal is to develop a vaccine that encourages the human immune system to make the antibodies it currently finds a struggle.
That remains a significant challenge, but the cattle study could help point the way.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said: "From the early days of the epidemic, we have recognized that HIV is very good at evading immunity, so exceptional immune systems that naturally produce broadly neutralizing antibodies to HIV are of great interest - whether they belong to humans or cattle."
Follow James on Twitter.


Derby matches have formed the basis of the Checkatrade Trophy group stages before under-21 invited teams are drawn into them on Wednesday, 12 July.

Three League One and Two teams have been placed in the 16 four-team groups, with space left for an under-21 team, in order to reduce overall travel time.
Peterborough and Cambridge will play each other competitively for the first time since December 2001.
Notts County also face Mansfield, while Exeter will play Devon rivals Plymouth.
Essex sides Colchester and Southend will also come up against each other, as do Crewe and Port Vale and there will be an "El Gloscio" match between Cheltenham and newly-promoted Forest Green Rovers.
The group-stage fixtures, including where they are to be played, is set to be confirmed on Wednesday, with invited under-21 teams to play all group games away from home.
The changes to how group stages were drawn came after fan feedback from last season's competition, when Cheltenham were drawn against Blackpool, Bolton and Everton Under-21s.
Northern section
Southern Section


Japan's latest trade figures have shown exports falling for a fourth straight month, according to official numbers.

The country's value of exports fell by 12.9% in January from a year earlier, supporting concerns that the slowdown in China - one of the country's most important trading partners - is continuing to hurt demand.
Imports, meanwhile, fell by 18%.
The figures leave the world's third biggest economy with a deficit of 645.94bn yen ($5.65bn; Â£3.95bn).
Expectations were for a fall in exports of just over 11% and a drop in imports of 16%.
Investors seemed to shrug off the latest trade data, however, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 rising more than 2.5% in early trading. But analysts said the numbers were not a good sign for the future of the economy.
"Japan's January trade figures were woeful [and] this is more fodder for those who think Japan's economy is a disaster waiting to happen," said Chris Weston from IG Markets.
Japan's economy has been struggling, and analysts have said the government must shore up growth in its exports in order to support future economic expansion.
For every 1% that Japan's economy grows, between 0.5 and 0.7% comes from exports.
On Monday, the country posted a contraction in economic growth for the final three months of 2015, adding to a string of setbacks for the government's economic reform policy.
Between October and December, it shrank by 0.4% compared with the previous quarter.
In a surprise move last month, the country's central bank cut its interest rates to below zero for the first time ever in an attempt to boost growth. The cut was implemented this week.


Netflix is allowing some of its shows and films to be downloaded and watched offline, the company has announced.

It had previously said letting people download shows added too much "complexity" to its experience.
Other video apps such as BBC iPlayer, All 4 and Amazon Prime Video already let viewers watch content when offline.
Netflix said some of its original programmes were already available to download and more would be made available in the future.
"It's surprising because just weeks ago they said it wasn't going to happen," said Tom Harrington from the consultancy Enders Analysis.
"You can understand why they wouldn't want to do it because it opens up a whole pot of rights issues. Offering a download service will cost Netflix more.
"But everyone else is already doing it. Amazon is doing it, Sky has been doing something similar with Sky Q. Netflix doesn't want to be left behind, or compared unfavourably to rivals."


Police in Northern Ireland are using drones to patrol the nest sites of protected birds of prey.

They have been used to monitor areas where the birds are being persecuted.
It is thought to be the first time the technology has been used in this way in the United Kingdom.
It follows dozens of cases of poisoning across Northern Ireland over the last few years. According to the PSNI, there were 44 reports of birds of prey being killed illegally between 2009 and 2014.
Several peregrines are lost every year to illegal poisoning, shooting or trapping, said the Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group, which has been helping with the survey work.
The Northern Ireland Environment Agency is overseeing the work, which is part of a wider initiative to protect the nests of peregrine falcons.
The species often raise its young in quarries or on cliff faces.
There are around 80 breeding pairs of peregrines in Northern Ireland, but only about half of them fledge young every year.
While numbers of peregrines have increased in recent years they are still being persecuted, said wildlife officer Jon Lees.
"They can also be disturbed to the point of nest abandonment by people who just want a closer look or a photograph," he said.
PSNI wildlife liaison officer, Emma Meredith, said the drones provided the ability to survey hard-to-reach areas.
She added the new technology means that "there is no hiding place for those who seek to persecute wild birds".
Ms Meredith said the PSNI takes "all types of crimes seriously and this includes wildlife crime such as shooting, poisoning or trapping of birds of prey".
"On occasions, baits (such as a rabbit carcass or sausages) have been laid laced with poison in the public domain," she said.
She added that some of the food left out to poison the birds was found to contain the banned and "seriously dangerous" substance, Carbofuran.
"Be under no illusion, this type of poison is an indiscriminate killer and can also be fatal to humans, not only wildlife suffers but also any child, adult or pet could find and ultimately consume these poisoned baits."


The government is intent on persuading us Brexit can be done smoothly, and to time.
So the suggestion that the UK's most senior diplomat in Brussels has privately told the government that a final trade deal with the rest of the EU might not be done for 10 years, and might ultimately fail, may give rise to more nerves.
The BBC understands that Sir Ivan Rogers, the British ambassador to the EU, warned ministers that the European consensus was that a trade deal might not be concluded until the early to mid-2020s at the earliest - possibly a decade after the referendum.
And Sir Ivan, who conducted David Cameron's pre-referendum renegotiation, warned that approving an agreement in every country's domestic parliament - the process of ratification - might prove impossible.
That's despite the public hope from ministers that a trade agreement can be done before we leave the union.
Officially Number 10 says it doesn't recognise the advice. They are confident of negotiating a deal in the interests of the UK and the EU.
Sources say Sir Ivan was representing others' views, rather than reflecting the view of the British government.
But as Theresa May arrives at only her second EU summit as prime minister, where she won't be in the room when the other 27 leaders discuss Brexit over dinner, this is perhaps a reality check of just how hard these negotiations might prove.


Manchester United is one of the richest football teams in the world, but its performances on the pitch this season under David Moyes could dent its balance sheet.

Revenue at the club for the year to 30 June 2013 was £363m. That was an increase of 13% on a year earlier.
Manchester United also reported a net profit of £146m for 2012/13.
But the club fell one place in world football's rich list, being pushed into fourth place by Bayern Munich.
That did not seem to be of immediate concern to the Glazer family, the majority shareholders in the club, when accountancy firm Deloitte published its annual Football Money League.
But to Manchester United's 660 million fans worldwide, it was the consequence of several years' failure to invest in the club.
Manchester United's failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 19 years will almost certainly have a financial impact.
In its last set of accounts, Manchester United admitted that its "revenue streams are driven by the performance and popularity of our first team".
The club said "significant sources" of its revenue came from the team's historically strong performances in the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup, and Champions League.
"Our income varies significantly depending on our first team's participation and performance in these competitions," the club added.
While it is tricky to evaluate the size of that impact as yet, last year the club earned £29.5m from Europe's premier club competition. That was down from £34m a year earlier and £51m the year before that.
Deloitte predicts the loss of Champions League football next season could cost the club up to £50m - around 10% of Manchester United's expected revenue for next year.
That estimate is based on lost broadcast revenue and ticket sales, as well as the loss of any prize money.
Its last set of accounts for the year to 30 June 2013 showed Manchester United's revenue from all broadcasting was £101.6m.
That said, Manchester United's global brand continues to grow.
Deloitte's Football Money League shows the club's commercial operations grew by 30% to £34.9m in 2012/13.
Multiple new global and regional partners were added, aided by the addition of a new sales office in Hong Kong focused on one of the club's key markets of Asia.
A world-record shirt sponsorship deal with General Motors (Chevrolet), worth $559m over seven years almost certainly helped boost revenues, and despite not their logo not appearing on Manchester United shirts until 2014/15, delivered about £12m in the year.
In total, the club has signed deals with six new sponsors, including Unilever and the Hong Kong Jockey Club, as well as Aperol cocktails.
But the Glazer family's £800m takeover of the club in 2005 has long been a bone of contention for some fans, who claim the family has stripped Manchester United of assets and saddled it with hundreds of millions of pounds of debt.
Opponents of the Glazers have regularly voiced concerns about the financial stability of the club following the takeover, which was funded by loans from US hedge funds.
Critics argue the Glazer family have spent years paying off those debts - some estimates put the total amount of debt and interest repaid at £400m - when they should have spent money on building a new squad to guarantee a seamless transition, following the retirement of Alex Ferguson last year.
They also cite the fact that Ferguson was forced to tempt Paul Scholes out of retirement to play for the club in 2012 as evidence of the Glazers not spending enough on maintaining the squad.
One critic is Jim O'Neill, the retiring chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management and a Manchester United fan who challenged the Glazer family for ownership of the club in 2010.
He told BBC Radio 4's World at One: "Manchester United is a global brand and it is owned by people who are not particularly interested in what it does on the football pitch, they are more interested in revenue."
He added that for Manchester United to remain the global brand it is today, it needed to stay in the Champions League in order to maintain its sponsorship deals.
Mr O'Neill also refused to comment on whether he still harboured ambitions to take over the club.
The issue of new shares in the club on the New York Stock Exchange in August 2012 helped pay down some of the club's debts, halving annual interest payments to just over £20m.
Its debts were refinanced again in May 2013, reducing the club's interest payments by a further £10m a year.
David Bick, chairman of Square1 consulting, told the BBC earlier this year that the deal meant Manchester United would now be paying off their debts "on more reasonable terms".
He said the club still had "a long way to go" in paying off its debts, but added the Glazers had made the most of the club's global presence by drawing revenue in from places such as East Asia.
"It's a massive global brand, they have extracted commercial income from all corners of the globe," he said
The club has not exactly shied away from spending money on new players and is reportedly ready to hand its new manager a £100m war chest for new summer signings.
If it hopes to return to the top of the Premier League next year and limit the damage done by its failure to qualify for the Champions League this year, it may need to spend big.
In January, Manchester United broke a new club record when it signed Chelsea player Juan Mata for a £37.1m.
A month later, it was revealed the club had agreed terms with star England striker Wayne Rooney, keeping him at the club for another four years on a reported weekly salary of £300,000.
Deloitte estimates that Manchester United's total wage bill for the financial year 2012/13 stood at £182m, overtaking Chelsea's wage bill of £178m for the first time and coming second only to rivals Manchester City who paid £233m in wages in the financial year.
That was an 11% rise on a year earlier and before either the Mata or Rooney deals were announced. Mata's wages are expected to amount to £8m this year alone.
Some believe it is inevitable the club will be forced to offload other high earning and ageing players, including Patrice Evra and Rio Ferdinand - with Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic already heading to Inter Milan at the end of the season - in order to be able to buy in fresh players in the summer.
But as rivals Liverpool have learned, the lack of Champions League football may hamper Manchester United's ability to attract the players it wants, regardless of the money it has to spend.


Wales international defender Chris Gunter has signed a two-year contract extension with Reading.

The 26-year-old's contract was due to expire at the end of the season but the new agreement will keep him with the Championship club until 2018.
Gunter, an ever-present for Reading this season, is expected to feature for Wales at Euro 2016 in the summer.
"It's a really good day for us all," Reading manager Brian McDermott told the club website.


Two air ambulance charities are to carry out emergency blood transfusions on board their helicopters.

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity [GWAAC] in Filton and Wiltshire Air Ambulance [WAA] in Devizes will use blood from Southmead Hospital.
John Wood from GWAAC  said: "The blood will always be available to all our patients whenever we're operational."
GWAAC expects to give two to four transfusions a month. WAA expects one or two patients will need transfusions.
Blood from the North Bristol Trust Transfusion Laboratory at Southmead Hospital will be taken to the air ambulance bases by the charity Freewheelers EVS.
If the blood is not used within 24 hours, it will be taken back to Bristol and put back in the bank.
Mr Wood, the GWAAC operating officer, said: "It will be mainly use for trauma, so it will be road traffic collisions, falls from height, industrial accidents and those kinds of incidents.
"It will also be for medical patients who bleed spontaneously for a variety of reasons - we would also be able to transfuse blood for those patients too."
Other air ambulances across the country already offer the service.  London's Air Ambulance began the scheme in 2012.


Mae ail filwr wedi marw yn dilyn digwyddiad yn ymwneud â thanc ar faes tanio Castell Martin yn Sir Benfro.

Daeth y cyhoeddiad am yr ail farwolaeth yn hwyr nos Iau mewn trydar gan Tobias Ellwood, Gweinidog yn y Weinyddiaeth Amddiffyn.
Mae dau filwr arall mewn cyflwr difrifol yn yr ysbyty yn dilyn y digwyddiad tua 15:30 brynhawn Mercher.
Dywed y Weinyddiaeth Amddiffyn na fydd yna danio ar y safle am y tro ac mae ymchwiliad yn cael ei gynnal.
Bu farw un o'r milwyr yn Ysbyty Treforys fore Iau.
Dywedodd y gweinidog sydd â chyfrifoldeb, Tobias Ellwood, bod y ddau filwr a fu farw yn aelodau o Gatrawd Brenhinol y Tanciau.
Mae'r Weinyddiaeth Amddiffyn, Heddlu Dyfed-Powys a'r Gweithgor Iechyd a Diogelwch yn cynnal ymchwiliad.
Mae BBC Cymru yn deall fod y digwyddiad yn ymwneud â ffrwydron sy'n cael eu tanio o danciau Challenger.
"Diogelwch ein staff yw ein blaenoriaeth pennaf, ac mae ymchwiliad llawn wedi'i lansio i ddeall manylion y digwyddiad trasig yma," meddai Mr Ellwood.
Mae gwybodaeth ar wefan y ganolfan yn dweud bod disgwyl i fwledi byw gael eu tanio yno drwy gydol yr wythnos.
Mae'r safle dros 5,900 acer ar hyd arfordir Sir Benfro.


Asian markets are mixed in Friday's session, with a lot of focus on data from China.

The Chinese economy expanded by 6.7% in the first three months of the year, the slowest quarterly growth in seven years.
Chinese markets edged lower, with the Shanghai composite down by 0.26% to 3,074.26.
In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng index was also lower by 0.16% at midday to 21,304.21.
In South Korea the Kospi index there was down 0.1% at midday to 2,014.55.
Over in Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index edged down 0.34% - or 56.68 points - to 16,854.37 at the lunch break. Investors stayed at the sidelines, waiting for full assessment and impact of a 6.5 magnitude earthquake in southern Japan.
Australia was the only market in the plus column on Friday. The benchmark S&P ASX 200 was up 0.4% at midday, to 5,144.1.
US stocks had closed mostly unchanged on Thursday.
US banks reported lower profits, but beat analysts earnings estimates. Bank of America and Wells Fargo both reported a fall in first-quarter profit after they put aside more cash to cover bad loans to energy firms.


Everton winger Yannick Bolasie could be out for a year with a knee injury, says manager Ronald Koeman.

Bolasie, 27, injured his right knee during the Toffees' 1-1 draw with Manchester United on 4 December.
Dutch manager Koeman said on Wednesday: "It will be around 11-12 months before he is back. That is a big disappointment but he will come back."
Bolasie is due to have a second operation - on his anterior cruciate ligament - in the coming weeks.
More to follow.


Children as young as five will be targeted as part of a new government strategy to involve more people in sport and fitness.

Sports Minister Tracey Crouch has announced plans to get Britain more active, while also promoting good governance and safety.
Sport England, the agency responsible for grassroots sport, will now share its £1bn budget more widely.
As part of the plan, the Premier League will double its grassroots investment.
Having announced her intention to "rip up" the old strategy, Crouch has spent the past four months consulting all relevant bodies.
"Sport has an incredible power to do social good and that is what our new strategy is all about," she said.
"We will invest in sport and physical activity that shows how it can have a positive impact on people's lives, how it brings communities together, while ensuring it continues to make a significant contribution to the economy too."
Crouch voiced her displeasure with the status quo after data from Sport England suggested that the growth in participation that followed London's successful bid to stage the 2012 Games was stalling, particularly in England. Almost six out of 10 adults were playing no sport in a typical week.
More recent data, released last week, painted a slightly better picture but the overall impression was that a decade-long attempt to push teenagers and lapsed athletes into formal sport had gone as far as it could.
Under the old strategy, Sport England was sharing a huge chunk of its budget with each sport's national governing body (NGB), based on agreed plans to boost participation among the over-14s.
Crouch now wants that investment to start at five years of age and is asking Sport England to back successful projects run by charities and organisations outside the traditional NGB structure.
The main beneficiaries of this are likely to be Access Sport, Greenhouse Sports, parkrun, Sported, StreetGames and Street League - not-for-profit bodies that have enjoyed great success in getting young people more active despite little NGB support.
Schemes will also be supported if they have educational, economic and societal benefits, with money ring-fenced for projects targeted at the disabled, disadvantaged communities and pensioners.
The impact of these programmes will be gauged in a new way, with the much maligned Active People Survey being replaced by Active Lives - a wider survey that will also measure activities such as dance, rambling and cycling to work.
These strategic changes will only apply in England but the sports councils from the other home nations are subject to Crouch's plan to promote better governance with a new code that all bodies in receipt of public funds will have to implement by 2017.
Among other UK-wide plans are more co-operation between government, the sports councils, NGBs and UK Sport - the agency that funds elite sport - in bidding for world-class events.
Former Paralympian Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, meanwhile, will head a working party that will look at ways to make sport safer in the wake of concerns about concussions and cardiac arrests.
"We want to maintain Britain's reputation as one of the leading nations in the world for putting on major sporting events, while making sure we are the best in the world on good governance too," said Crouch.
Shadow Sports Minister Clive Efford said the measures were exactly what the opposition has been asking government to do for five years.
"I am delighted that government thinking has finally arrived in the 21st century," said Efford, who also voiced concerns about sport's ability to pay for such a broad spectrum of programmes.
"We have wasted five years going backwards because this government attacked the very foundations on which a coherent sport strategy should have been built."
The new strategy comes after a good month for British sport, which had been worried about the possibility of cuts to its government funding in last month's comprehensive spending review.
Chancellor George Osborne promised to maintain the existing levels of support for the elite and grassroots sectors.
Emma Boggis, chief executive of the Sport and Recreation Alliance - the umbrella group for NGBs, welcomed the new strategy.
She said the government and sport were in agreement the "good work" already being done needed to be more "joined up" and "effectively measured".
Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore said the new strategy recognised the league's efforts to invest in community sports and he had agreed to increase that investment to at least £100m over the next three years, providing the current Ofcom investigation into Premier League rights approves the next set of TV deals.


The English Football League was back in full swing after the international break and there were plenty of new managers returning to the beautiful game after their own breaks.

But aside from Ian Holloway's homecoming at QPR and the sight of ex-Leeds United manager Steve Evans making structural changes at his new club, there was also the player maintaining a strong family tradition from the penalty spot.
Here are five things you may have missed from Saturday's action.
On the face of it, Tom Ince had a cracking afternoon as in-form Derby County treated their fans to a third successive win and a fourth victory in six games under returning head coach Steve McClaren.
Former England Under-21 winger Ince has been key to that run, scoring two goals in the win over Wolves last time out and looking like a completely different player to the one who failed to score in 11 games under former boss Nigel Pearson.
But two goals and a man-of the match display against an outclassed Rotherham side do not tell the full story.
The son of ex-England, Liverpool and Manchester United midfielder Paul managed to miss two penalties, albeit he scored on the rebound after his first spot-kick was saved.
Ince junior is only keeping things in the family though, so will probably not get too much ribbing about his penalty-taking prowess from his old man - Paul having missed a shootout spot-kick in England's 1998 World Cup loss to Argentina.
Steve Evans has been a controversial and often divisive figure during his management career.
But you cannot fault his promotion record - and you certainly cannot accuse of him being shy and unwilling to take flak. In fact, he seems to enjoy it.
Evans, who has won nine promotions during his time as a boss, started life in charge of Mansfield Town with a mightily impressive 3-1 victory over his former club Crawley Town.
His first big decision, a couple of days after being appointed, was to relocate the dugouts so the managers at the One-Call Stadium were bang in the thick of things.
Being away from the endless expertise dished out by fans was far from ideal, and Evans did not like the lack of atmosphere on previous visits - so he changed it.
And he might not need to worry about getting abuse if he carries on winning.
Another manager never short of a word or two is QPR's returning boss Ian Holloway. Surely nothing would spoil his homecoming? And so it proved with a 2-1 home win over Norwich.
But the second tier of English football is a notoriously fickle place to be. The Championship has already seen seven managers get the chop this season and we are yet to reach December.
Holloway is back at the club he left in 2006, and with the charm offensive in full swing, you can only make yourself even more popular if you win your first match.
Media playback is not supported on this device
New Wolves boss Paul Lambert is also no stranger to the Championship and he was back in the dugout to oversee the 0-0 draw against Preston at Deepdale.
The Scot has always been far more conservative than Holloway when it comes to shouting the odds and maybe a more gentle introduction and a respectable 0-0 draw was a fittingly understated way to start his reign.
It was Ollie's day.
A journey of around 700 miles to watch your beloved team in action means it is vital to make the most of every second to get value for money on the considerable time invested.
The 150 Exeter City fans who made the long trip to Carlisle United's Brunton Park would have been even more eager to savour what looked like being a fine 2-1 victory - just their sixth in League Two this season - as the game entered the 89th minute.
As it turned out, leaving early would have been for the best and saved a whole heap of pain because it all went very wrong after that.
Those on their way would have missed Carlisle's 89th-minute equaliser - a Shaun Miller header.
But it got worse - much worse - because in the seventh minute of added time, Charlie Wyke crashed home a winner for the Cumbrians.
To add insult to injury time, the Grecians dropped to the bottom of League Two following Newport County's victory at Notts County.
If you left at 2-1 up, ignorance is bliss.
The only certainties in life are death and taxes. And now, it seems if you are a Bury fan, is losing to AFC Wimbledon.
A 5-0 FA Cup first-round replay defeat by Wimbledon on Tuesday, their third meeting and second loss to the Londoners in a month, cost David Flitcroft his job as manager.
Four days later, with Ryan Kidd and Chris Brass in temporary charge, they were at least one goal better off in a League One contest as they lost 5-1 on their return to Kingsmeadow.
That is very much the 'Groundhog Day' scenario you would be keen to avoid.
So, to take a tally of how things stand for the newest and probably most unlikely north v south rivalry, it is 14-4 after 376 minutes football spread over 33 days. Oh, and of course Bury are one manager worse off.
As for Bury's increasingly atrocious run of form, defeat was their 10th in 12 games in all competitions - a run that followed six straight wins.
Not surprisingly, Brass admits it has been a "very tough" week.
"It won't be a quick fix," he told BBC Radio Manchester. "The answers will come from the players, they are the ones that cross the white line and there was a little honesty after the match - that is what was needed.
"Sometimes it is not just me, not just the manager, not just voices - the actual voice, fight and desire has to come from within. As a player you need it."
Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.


Cardiff City impressed in a new formation under head coach Paul Trollope as they coasted to an easy pre-season friendly win at Shrewsbury.

Anthony Pilkington's excellent curling strike and a header from debutant Frederic Gounongbe gave the dominant visitors a 2-0 half-time lead.
Cardiff made 11 substitutions after an hour and Tom James nodded in from Craig Noone's free-kick.
Kenneth Zohore then seized on a goalkeeping error to complete the rout.
The most useful exercise for recently-appointed Cardiff boss Trollope was arguably the switch to a 5-3-2 formation which had proved so successful for Wales during their run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016.
Trollope has been a part of the Welsh coaching set-up since July 2015, and his Bluebirds players adapted to the system with ease as they monopolised possession and scoring opportunities in an utterly one-sided encounter.


Bernard Hogan-Howe, the newly-appointed Metropolitan Police Commissioner, fits the bill for the "single-minded crime fighter" sought by the home secretary.

Theresa May had made the call after his predecessor Sir Paul Stephenson, and his assistant John Yates, quit amid criticism of the Met's role in the phone-hacking scandal.
And the former Merseyside Police chief was well-placed to take on the job of the UK's top police officer, having been called on to act as the Met's deputy commissioner in the wake of the resignations.
During five years on Merseyside to 2009, Mr Hogan-Howe developed a high profile via regular web chats and broadcasts, appearances on local radio phone-ins and horseback rides through the city centre.
And he earned admirers for his tough approach to anti-social behaviour and stance on gun crime in the wake of the fatal shooting of 11-year-old Rhys Jones.
Born in Sheffield, the football enthusiast's rise through the ranks began with South Yorkshire Police in 1979.
He worked as a traffic officer, detective and district commander, gaining an MA in law from Oxford University and a diploma in applied criminology from Cambridge University along the way.
In 1997 he moved to Merseyside police and four years later joined the Met as an assistant commissioner, before returning to Liverpool in 2004.
1979: South Yorkshire Police
1997: Assistant Chief Constable, Merseyside
2001: Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police
2004: Chief Constable of Merseyside
2009: HM Inspectorate of Constabulary
Radio 4's Profile of Bernard Hogan-Howe
During that time, crime dropped by a third, and the force claims anti-social behaviour rates were cut in half through a zero-tolerance approach.
He hit the headlines in 2006 for sprinting after a suspected drink-driver after spotting him from his chauffeur-driven car.
Mr Hogan-Howe was the man in charge in 2007, when 11-year-old Rhys Jones was shot dead as he walked home from football practice.
The killing horrified the nation and there were grumblings from some in the media when there was no immediate arrest.
But Mr Hogan-Howe got his man in December 2008 when Sean Mercer, 18, was jailed for life and several members of his gang were also locked up.
That year, he accused some judges of being lenient on gun crime by overlooking mandatory five-year sentences for possession of a firearm.
He also called for those shielding gun criminals from police to be evicted from homes.
Mr Hogan-Howe set up the specialist Matrix team to tackle gun crime - the first of its kind outside London
The unit's former head, Det Supt Geoff Sloane, said: "When he came he had a clear philosophy. It was to tackle organised crime, gang-related crime but also to make sure victims were properly supported, which was backed up by strong neighbourhood policing."
Before leaving Merseyside, he applied to succeed Sir Hugh Orde as chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
However, he withdrew from the application process to take up a role with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabularies.
He was called back to the Met in July to support Acting Commissioner Tim Godwin - later a rival for the top job - in bringing stability to the force after Sir Paul Stephenson's resignation.
The home secretary and London Mayor Boris Johnson said they were "of one mind" in their decision to appoint Mr Hogan-Howe.
Mrs May cited his "excellent track-record" in reducing crime had proven the deciding factor.


The Republic of Ireland, the only country which has a land border with the UK, is taking a very keen interest in Britain's European Union referendum debate.

Until relatively recently, the two states had a troubled relationship because of Northern Ireland and Britain's past in Ireland.
In the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, the Republic of Ireland's government made a point of being seen to be neutral.
But that is not the case when it comes to this month's vote on a British exit (Brexit) from the EU.
While saying it is matter for the British people to decide, Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Enda Kenny has made a series of visits to the UK, urging the estimated 400,00 Irish citizens living in Britain to vote to remain in the EU in both countries' interest.
"Europe will be much stronger with Britain as a fundamental member", Mr Kenny said.
"So it's a vital issue for Europe, it's a vital issue for Britain, but it's also a critical issue for Ireland."
Mr Kenny took that message to Ruislip, west London, on the May Bank Holiday weekend, when London was playing his home county Mayo in the All-Ireland Gaelic football championship.
Most, though not all, of the emigrant fans present seemed to agree with the taoiseach's assessment.
When both states joined what was then the European Economic Community in 1973, the Republic of Ireland was economically dependent on UK trade; it had no choice other than to join, once Britain decided to do so.
But that dependency is no longer the case, even though Britain remains the Republic of Ireland's single biggest European trading partner.
Currently, it is estimated that more than 1bn euros (Â£793m) in merchandisable or sellable goods travel between the two islands every week.
While some say a Brexit would be good news for Dublin's financial services industry, the independent think-tank, the Economic and Social Research Institute, is of the view that, overall, a Brexit would be bad for the Republic of Ireland.
Dr Edgar Morgenroth from the ESRI says that such a development would not be catastrophic, but it would be significant.
"A Brexit would have negative economic implications for the UK and it would also have some negative implications for Ireland," he said.
"Our analysis suggests that the trade impact on Ireland could be to reduce exports on the merchandisable side by 3%."
Then there is the worry about the return of customs posts and a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland if there is a Brexit and fears about the political and economic implications of that.
Because of all the uncertainty, the vast majority of political parties and politicians in the Republic of Ireland are hoping that the UK electorate votes to stay in the EU.
But not everyone.
Thomas Pringle, a Independent member of the Irish parliament, representing Donegal, believes the EU is fundamentally flawed, undemocratic and unaccountable.
"I hope that the British people vote Yes to Brexit on June 23 because if it speeds the break-up of the European Union, I believe that would be a very welcome development for all the citizens of Europe and will allow us on the west coast of Ireland to exercise our own rights to our own fishing resources," Mr Pringle said.
Four months after the Republic of Ireland's general election, many residents believe another vote - the UK's Brexit referendum - may turn out out to be as important, if not more so, for people's livelihoods south of the border than their own poll.


Information typed on a wireless keyboard can be easily intercepted, a cybersecurity research firm has warned.

San Francisco-based Bastille said keyboards transmitted what was being typed in "clear text", making it possible for attackers to listen in on from up to 76m (250ft) away.
The firm said affected keyboards could not be updated and should be replaced.
In total, the researchers found 12 different companies producing vulnerable keyboards.
None of the firms had taken measures to warn users or rectify the issue in future products, Bastille said.
"We went into a bunch of big box stores and purchased wireless keyboards," said Ivan O'Sullivan, Bastille's chief research officer.
"We were shocked to find that two-thirds transmitted all of their data in clear text, no encryption.
"We did not expect to see this. We didn't think it would be in clear text. Hackers can intercept all the keystrokes from your keyboard up to 250 feet away. Through glass, walls, floors."
The keyboards affected used radio signals to transmit what the user was typing. By using a cheap, USB-powered radio antenna, the research team was able to follow what was being typed. They could also control the keyboard, inserting their own keystrokes.
Researcher Marc Newlin said a busy office could be targeted as it was trivial to isolate the signals of individual keyboards.
But he said he did not know if hackers were exploiting the weakness.
"We have no evidence to suggest that," he told the BBC. "It's completely passive so there's no way for a victim to know."
To solve the problem, Bastille recommended using keyboards using Bluetooth to connect to a computer, rather than radio. Or alternatively, "just get a wired keyboard".
Many of the devices tested would remain vulnerable, said Bastille, because it was not possible to update the firmware that keeps them operating.
The company praised Logitech, Dell and Lenovo for using higher-end chips in their wireless keyboards that had stronger security.
The research on wireless keyboards complements work Bastille did earlier in 2016 on wireless mice. It found that attackers could spoof poorly protected signals letting them use PCs as if they were sitting in front of them.
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC and on Facebook


A hotel operator has started a legal challenge against turning part of Lews Castle in Stornoway on Lewis into self-catering apartments.

The 19th Century property, which has been closed for 25 years, is to reopen later this year following a revamp.
Kenman Holdings Limited, which has a number of properties in the town, claim the privately-run apartments have been developed using public money.
Western Isles Council - Comhairle nan Eilean Siar - denies the allegation.
In a statement, the comhairle said it would strongly contest any legal challenge raised in the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
Lews Castle was constructed in 1847 for James Matheson, who made his fortune from the opium trade. Opium exported from China and India was often mixed with tobacco by smokers.
The property has been revamped in a project led by the comhairle and costing Â£13.5m.
Most of the property has been turned into a museum and archive.


Reading have agreed a deal to bring striker Rowan Liburd to the club from non-league Billericay Town.

The 22-year-old has signed a two-year development contract at the Championship club, having represented their under-21 side in pre-season.
Liburd scored 22 goals for Billericay in the Isthmian League Premier Division last season.
He spent four years on a scholarship at Thomas University in Georgia, USA before returning to the UK.
Meanwhile, defender Stephen Kelly has left the club after failing to agree a new contract for next season.
The Republic of Ireland international, 31, joined from Fulham in January 2013.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


A teenager has appeared in court accused of causing a 10-year-old boy serious injury by driving dangerously in Aberdeen.

Police were called to Cairngorm Drive at about 15:.15 on Monday after the schoolboy was hit by a green Kawasaki motorbike.
The child was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Jake Henry, 18, appeared in private at the city's sheriff court on Wednesday in connection with the incident.
He is alleged to have caused serious injury by driving dangerously, without insurance and without a licence.
He is also accused of failing to report an accident to the police and failing to identify himself to officers as the driver of a vehicle.
The teenager also faces a charge of acting in a threatening and abusive manner.
Mr Henry, of Aberdeen, made no plea and no declaration and his case was continued for further examination.
He was released on bail pending a further court appearance.