Why can't Tim Hortons win US hearts?, interest rates stand pat in Canada, and more top news

The news Canadian professionals are talking about now, curated by LinkedIn’s editors. Join the conversation by clicking the hashtags below.

Tim Hortons had, at last count, one location for every 9,800 Canadians, as the world's second-largest coffee chain largely still dominates its home market and expands into new countries. But while the Restaurant Brands-owned chain has been successful in Canada, it's struggling to make inroads in the U.S., CNBC reports. That comes amid heavy competition from Starbucks, Dunkin' and the roughly 58,000 coffee and snack shops across the country, many of which have better brand recognition among Americans, analysts told CNBC. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

The Bank of Canada said the economy may stall in the second half of this year as "world trade has contracted and business investment has weakened." The central bank nonetheless announced it is keeping its benchmark interest rate at 1.75% on Wednesday, noting that despite "escalating trade conflicts" it maintains some confidence in the Canadian economy, thanks to growing exports, wages and the housing market's rebound. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

The best country in the world for tourists to visit is Spain. That’s according to the World Economic Forum, which ranked the Mediterranean nation the most “travel ready” for the fifth year in a row, followed by France, Germany, Japan and the U.S. The WEF report, which takes into account factors such as environmental sustainability, hygiene and international openness, warned that many countries are at a tourism “tipping point” — calling for more to be done by the industry to ensure a sustainable future. ? Here’s what people are saying.

China and the U.S. plan to hold trade talks in Washington next month. The meeting will be the "13th round in a series of on-and-off negotiations that began in January," notes The Wall Street Journal. It follows a new round of tariffs in the Sino-American trade battle, with Beijing targeting U.S. soybeans, crude oil and pharmaceuticals after Washington slapped a 15% duty on a range of Chinese consumer goods. ? Here’s what people are saying.

YouTube agreed to pay a record penalty to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission stemming from allegations it gathered data from “viewers of child-directed channels” without parental consent. The settlement requires Google (YouTube's parent company) and YouTube to pay $136 million to the FTC and $34 million to New York. The penalty, the largest ever in a case involving the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, has been criticized for being too lenient. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Lastly: What do Element AI, Wealthsimple and Clearbanc have in common? They’re some of Canada’s hottest startups, according to LinkedIn’s Top Startups 2019 list. ? See the full list and join the conversation: #LinkedInTopStartups

Idea of the Day: Humility is an undervalued trait many great leaders have, says Vani Kola, Managing Director at Kalaari.

“Humble leaders usually have a sense of community as their purpose. Their existence is not driven only by success or profits, but by something deeper.”

What's your take on today’s stories? Share your thoughts in the comments.

— Jessica Hartogs