The Monday news briefing: An at-a-glance survey of some top stories

Highlights from the news file for Monday, April 25:

CANADIAN HOSTAGE KILLED: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the “cold-blooded murder” of a Canadian beheaded by terrorists in the Philippines after being held hostage for seven months. Trudeau confirmed the victim was 68-year-old John Ridsdel of Calgary. Ridsdel was one of four tourists — including Canadian Robert Hall, a Norwegian man and a Filipino woman— who were kidnapped last Sept. 21 by Abu Sayyaf militants from a marina on southern Samal Island. Ridsdel was a former mining executive and journalist.

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ZIKA VIRUS TRANSMITTED TO CANADIAN VIA SEX: Canada has recorded its first confirmed case of sexually transmitted Zika virus in an Ontario resident whose partner was infected after travelling to a country where the mosquito-borne disease has become endemic. The case was announced by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Health, but no further details about the resident were made public. The diagnosis was confirmed after testing by the health agency’s National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, which is still investigating another possible case of sexually transmitted Zika.

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FIGHTING ABORIGINAL YOUTH SUICIDE: Alberta’s child advocate is calling on the province to fund a suicide prevention strategy to tackle what he calls a “terrible trend of aboriginal youth suicide.” Del Graff says the plan must be led by communities and recognize aboriginal values and cultural practices. The ideas are among 12 recommendations listed in a report released by Graff. It looks at the lives of seven aboriginal teens who were involved with social services and killed themselves between June 2013 and December 2014.

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NO APPEAL OF GHOMESHI ACQUITTAL: The prosecution has decided against appealing the acquittal of former CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi on sexual-assault and choking charges last month, a spokesman for the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General said. In a statement, Brendan Crawley said a review of the ruling and case turned up no basis to contest the decision. “The Crown has concluded that there is no legal basis upon which to appeal the acquittals,” Crawley said.

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MASSIVE PIPELINE GETS CONDITIONAL OK: The National Energy Board has granted conditional approval to a massive Enbridge pipeline that would enable more Canadian crude to flow into the U.S. The $7.5-billion Line 3 Replacement project involves rebuilding a 1,660-kilometre pipeline that’s nearly a half-century old and has had several ruptures over the years. It would enable 760,000 barrels a day to be shipped from Hardisty, Alta., to Superior, Wisc. Today, the aging line is only shipping about half of that.

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CLOSING ARGUMENTS IN DISMEMBERMENT TRIAL: A jury in London, Ont., will have to decide if a man accused of murdering and dismembering his friend was provoked into a stabbing frenzy after an unwanted sexual advance, or whether he was “a calculated predator” acting out a depraved fantasy. The two theories were presented to jurors as closing arguments were presented in the grisly case. Crown prosecutors argued James McCullough was acting out a sick fantasy and knew what he was doing when he killed his friend and cut up his body in a hotel room in September 2013.

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MOUNTIE ON TRIAL: A Mountie accused of severe, long-term abuse of his 11-year-old son told an Ottawa court that an RCMP psychiatrist suggested he play down a history of constant nightmares when he underwent a psychological evaluation before joining the police force. The man, who can’t be named to protect the identity of his son, made the claim during the first day of defence testimony at his trial. The Mountie and his wife were charged in February 2013 in what Ottawa police described as one of the worst cases of abuse they had seen.

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SOME SOCIAL MEDIA IMAGES NOT SO FLEETING: They are images of dormitory drug use, drunken debauchery and naked selfies — captured by self-destructing photo apps such as Snapchat. But social media images intended to be fleeting, and for a limited group of friends, are taking on a longer life and a much larger audience through unsanctioned accounts that collect posts from students and repost them to anyone who subscribes.

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ADVOCATE SAYS AIRLINE `DISCRIMINATES’ BASED ON SIZE: A Halifax man who advocates on behalf of airline passengers argued in Federal Court on Monday that even though he is not overweight himself, he should have the right to file a complaint about a carrier’s “discriminatory” practice of bumping obese travellers. Gabor Lukacs told the three-member panel that the Canadian Transportation Agency should hear his complaint about the way Delta Air Lines asks large passengers to move to another seat, take a later flight or buy an additional seat. “The airline is discriminating based on size,” he said in court.

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TRUMP RIVALS CO-ORDINATE STRATEGY:In an extraordinary move, Donald Trump’s Republican rivals late Sunday announced plans to co-ordinate primary strategies in upcoming states to deprive the GOP front-runner of the delegates needed to win the Republican nomination. Ted Cruz and John Kasich issued near-simultaneous statements outlining an agreement that may be unprecedented in modern American politics. The Kasich campaign will give Cruz “a clear path in Indiana.” In return, the Cruz campaign will “clear the path” for Kasich in Oregon and New Mexico.