May appeals to EU 27 on Brexit

British prime minister Theresa May told EU 27 leaders in Brussels on Wednesday that she remains confident of a good outcome on Brexit. But with the Irish border question still presenting an impasse to progress on a deal, May reportedly urged them to find “a creative way out of this dilemma,” Bloomberg and The Guardian report. They, and the BBC, also say that there is talk of a post-Brexit transition period being extended. The PM has said that the last stage of negotiations will need “courage, trust and leadership on both sides.”

US to get Jamal Khashoggi tape

The Guardian reports that US president Donald Trump has requested Turkey hand over the audio recording that it says proves Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Trump has also reiterated the importance of Saudi Arabia as “very important ally of ours in the Middle East”. Meanwhile, The Washington Post has published the last column Khashoggi wrote before his disappearance. It is titled “What the Arab world needs most is free expression”. But CNBC also points out that the newspaper’s owner, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, has been silent on the Khashoggi story and says that Amazon Web Services has been seeking to set up data centres in Saudi Arabia.

Netflix stock rises

CNBC provides insight into the 5% gain made by Netflix shares on Wednesday on the back of news that the streaming service had picked up 6.96 million subscribers in Q3. Analysts revised their stock price target as they say that continental Europe is accelerating growth, with the emerging Indian market also proving interesting for Netflix.

World watches Canada’s marijuana legalisation

Social media has been awash with celebratory comments on Canada’s new law that legalises marijuana. As reported in The Guardian, Canada’s attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould said, “there’s no question the world is watching.” The first person to legally buy cannabis said, with a tear in his eye, “I think it’s one of the biggest moments of my life.”

Death wish Coke

Coca-Cola in New Zealand has been embarrassed by speakers of te reo Maori after a slogan on its vending machines was translated as "Greetings, death." The company had added the English word “mate” to a form of Maori greeting, "kia ora", says CNBC. But “mate” in the indigenous people’s language means “death”.

VW Germany to offer money off for old diesels

As more and more German cities ban old diesel cars, VW is apparently about to release details of scheme that will allows owners of such vehicles to receive up to €10,000 on part exchange for new cars. Spiegel Online (in German) says an announcement from the car maker, which was at the centre of “dieselgate”, is due on Thursday.

Assange move to Russia was foiled

The Guardian reveals that Ecuador tried to “appoint” Julian Assange as a political counsellor to its embassy in Moscow. The attempt to get the WikiLeaks founder out of London was apparently blocked by UK authorities.

Today's breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts