Nation, world briefs 12/30/15

U.S. home prices climb in October

WASHINGTON -- Steady job growth, low mortgage rates and tight inventories helped fuel rising U.S. home prices in October. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index rose 5.5 percent in the 12 months ending in October, up from a 5.4 percent pace in September, according to a report Tuesday. Home values climbed at a roughly 5 percent pace during much of 2015 as strong hiring bolstered a real-estate market still recovering from a housing bust that triggered a recession eight years ago. Home sales increased this year as the 5 percent unemployment rate has strengthened confidence in the economy.

Suspects filmed celebrating arson

TEL AVIV, Israel -- Israeli police said they arrested Jewish suspects who appeared in a video of a wedding at which guests can be seen celebrating an arson attack that killed a Palestinian toddler. Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the groom and three wedding guests were arrested Tuesday. Samri said they are suspected of incitement and unlawful weapon possession. The video, aired by Channel 10 last week, shows a rowdy crowd of skullcap-wearing youths brandishing rifles and dancing to music with lyrics calling for revenge. Some appear to be stabbing photos of Ali Dawabshe, who died when suspected Jewish extremists firebombed his family home in the West Bank in July. The groom said he did not see his guests defiling photographs of Dawabsheh.

Purse stolen during prayer at church

NORTH LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Authorities said they're looking for a man who stole an 84-year-old woman's purse as she was praying in a Florida church. A Broward Sheriff's Office news release stated the theft happened at Our Lady Queen of Heaven in North Lauderdale on Dec. 20. Surveillance video shows a man walking into the small chapel area and sitting down in the back. After a few seconds, he stands and begins to pace. He sneaks up, takes a purse from the chair next to the woman and walks out a nearby door. The woman notices a few moments later and attempts to follow, but the man has disappeared. The release stated the purse was recovered two days later at a nearby cemetery, but the woman's wallet and money were gone.

Elephant seal tries to cross highway

SAN FRANCISCO -- Wildlife experts and law-enforcement officials are working to keep a determined elephant seal off a highway it repeatedly has tried to cross, slowing traffic in the area. California Highway Patrol spokesman Andrew Barclay said callers first reported the 500-pound mammal was trying to climb the divider wall of Highway 37 near Sears Point in Sonoma. He said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service crews and CHP officers ushered the adult seal back into the San Francisco Bay. But instead of swimming away, the animal got back on land at least twice. Barclay said crews with the Sausalito-based Marine Mammal Center and the San Pablo Bay National Marine Sanctuary helped with the rescue. Marine Mammal Center spokeswoman Laura Sherr said the seal didn't seem hurt.

-- From wire reports