The "Gub" Blog: Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

On This Day in History – April 28

1789 – In the South Pacific, sailors on HMS Bounty mutiny against Captain William Bligh, a defining episode in naval history and colonial-era exploration.
1945 – Italian dictator Benito Mussolini is captured and executed by partisans, marking the collapse of fascist rule in Italy near the end of the Second World War.
1948 – The Latin American democracies help found the Organization of American States (OAS) in Bogotá, a regional body still central to hemispheric diplomacy today.
1969 – French President Charles de Gaulle resigns after losing a referendum, reshaping French politics and the future direction of the Fifth Republic.
1994 – Former South African president P.W. Botha testifies to the truth commission era’s coming shift, as South Africa holds its first multiracial democratic elections that week, ending apartheid rule.
2001 – American entrepreneur Dennis Tito becomes the first space tourist, travelling to the International Space Station and opening the door to private human spaceflight.

Yesterday (April 27) – Prime Minister Mark Carney reiterated that Canada will not rush into a U.S. trade deal, signalling a strategy of patience on tariffs and broader Canada–U.S. economic relations.
Expected focus today (April 28) – Attention is likely to remain on Canada–U.S. trade talks and the work of Carney’s new Advisory Committee on Canada–U.S. Economic Relations, as markets and exporters watch for any sign of movement.

The dominant U.S. political story yesterday was the charging of White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect Cole Tomas Allen with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump, intensifying debate over political violence and security around senior officials.

Ongoing U.S.–Iran tensions and a fragile two‑week ceasefire remained at the centre of global risk, with Washington weighing Tehran’s proposals and regional actors mediating, keeping alive the possibility of either de‑escalation or renewed large‑scale conflict.
The wider Middle East conflict—including Israeli strikes in Lebanon and continued suffering in Gaza and Iran-related theatres—underscored how any breakdown in diplomacy could shape regional security, energy markets, and refugee flows for years.

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein

Sunrise / Sunset (April 28, 2026): Sunrise about 5:56 a.m., sunset about 8:04 p.m. in Ottawa, giving roughly 14 hours of daylight.
Moon phase: Waxing gibbous, roughly 88–94% illuminated, with the Moon a bit past first quarter and heading toward full.
Regular gas price (approx.): Recent Ottawa data show regular gasoline averaging around 1.70–1.80 CAD per litre in April, with some forecasts recently pointing as high as the 1.80+ range.