By Libby George LONDON Israel has raised $200 million from diaspora bond sales since the war with Hamas

The most spooktacular time of the year is here but – as exciting as Halloween is – shockingly, a whopping 18,000 tons of pumpkin goes to waste every year in the UK. That’s the same weight as 1,500 double-decker buses, which is pretty frightening. Pumpkin isn’t just for making spooky faces out of on Halloween, though – not only are they delicious in a wide range of recipes, but did you know pumpkins also have a whole number of health benefits too? Pumpkins are packed with health benefits. Rich in vitamin C, vitamin A and fibre, this versatile vegetable is really good for eye, gut and heart health, and that’s just the flesh! Pumpkin seeds are a great source of good fats, iron and B vitamins – all important nutrients that support heart, muscle, skin, nervous system and immune health. If you eat enough of them, the seeds are also a good source of protein and fibre – both of which help to regulate blood sugar. Ready to enjoy some yummy pumpkin goodness this Halloween? From classic soup to fancy fondue, here are four recipes that are to die for. Hearty pumpkin soup Serves: 4 Ingredients: 3 cups of pumpkin/vegetable/chicken stock 500g pumpkin puree Large knob of butter 1 chopped onion 2 chopped carrots 1 finely chopped garlic clove 1 cup of cream ½ tsp chopped thyme, salt and pepper Method: Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the garlic, onion, carrots, thyme and a pinch of salt and cook for 5-8 minutes or until softened. When cooked, transfer to a food processor and blitz together with the pumpkin puree until smooth, then return to the saucepan, add in the stock. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to very low and add the cream and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Season to taste and serve. Pumpkin ravioli with sage butter Serves: 4 Ingredients: 4 eggs 400g “00” pasta flour 4 tsp olive oil 350g roast pumpkin flesh 100g grated parmesan 15g fresh sage 75g butter Salt and pepper Method: For pumpkin filling: Add the roast pumpkin, grated parmesan and a big pinch of salt and pepper to a food processor and blitz until smooth. For the ravioli: Add the eggs, pasta flour and olive oil to a food processor and blitz until a crumbly mixture forms. Knead the mixture for 10 minutes or until it becomes smooth and elastic, then wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest for 20 minutes. When ready, cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll out into thin pasta sheets (approx 2mm). On one sheet, spoon out a couple of teaspoons of filling every few inches, then brush around each mound of filling with water, place the second sheet on top and cut around each mound with a sharp knife. Crimp the edges of each to seal them. Repeat until all the filling or pasta sheets have been used up, then add the ravioli to a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes or until they float to the top of the water. For the sage butter: Heat the butter in a frying pan until melted and foaming, then add the sage leaves and cook until the leaves crisp up and the butter browns. Season to taste, and drizzle over the cooked ravioli. Pumpkin pickle Ingredients: 500g pumpkin 1 red onion 2 garlic cloves 1 red chilli 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds 1 tsp turmeric 15g knob of ginger 250ml cider vinegar 250ml castor sugar 1 tsp nigella seeds Method: Peel and slice the onions, garlic and ginger. Peel and chop the pumpkin into small bite-size pieces. De-seed and finely chop the red chillies. Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of oil and cook the onion, ginger and chilli for 10-12 min or until softened. Add the mustard seeds, garlic, and turmeric and cook for 1 min. Add the pumpkin, sugar, cider vinegar & a splash of water and cook for 8 min or until the pumpkin has softened and the pickle has thickened. Season with a pinch of salt, sprinkle in the nigella seeds and transfer the mixture to sterilised jars. Pumpkin fondue Ingredients: 1 whole mid-large sized pumpkin 300g of grated mixed cheeses (traditionally gruyere, Emmental and cheddar) 2 tsp cornflour A peeled garlic clove A few glugs of white wine Method: Cut the top off the pumpkin and scrape out the fibrous strands and seeds, then replace the lid and bake in the oven at 180C/160C fan for 1 hr to 1hr 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin flesh is cooked. Meanwhile, mix the cornflour with the grated cheese until it has fully coated the gratings. When the pumpkin has mostly cooked, remove from the oven, take off the lid and place the grated cheese, white wine and garlic clove inside, giving it a mix to combine. Increase the oven temperature a little higher and bake for a further 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling away. When cooked, remove from the oven and serve with bread or crudites for dipping. For more Halloween tips and recipes, visit the Gousto website.

A search is underway for a Tennessee couple who vanished while traveling in Alaska last week. Alaska State Troopers have joined Fairbanks Police in the effort to find Jonas Bare, 50, and Cynthia Hovesepian, 37, who were reported missing on 12 August after they failed to check out of their vacation rental the day before. The couple had not made their return flight home and their luggage was found at their Airbnb in the downtown area of Fairbanks, police said. They have not been in touch with their families. Later on Saturday evening, Fairbanks Police located the couple’s rental vehicle at Chena Hot Springs Resort, a popular destination about 60 miles outside of Fairbanks. The dark metallic blue Jeep Compass Limited was rented through Turo and set to be returned on 11 August, police said. There are no plates on the vehicle, just a temporary tag with the number T119055. Troopers have been canvassing Alaska’s interior for days with helicopters, small unmanned aircraft systems, ATVs, professional search and rescue teams, and K9 units. Mr Bare’s recent Facebook posts show his excitement leading up to the couple’s Alaska trip that appeared to be for his 50th birthday. At one point he wrote that he was visiting his 50th state for his 50th birthday. In an eerie post shared on 8 August, just a few days before the couple disappeared, Mr Bare wrote about preparing to leave for base camp the following morning. “If a Kodiak gets me, I’ll consider that an honorable death,” he wrote. The post also states that he was “not going to get lost like I did 10 years ago in Australia and Katoomba Range..” Bare’s last post was a picture of Denali National Park in Alaska that was captioned: “View from room” along with heart-eyed emoji. Messages of concern from family and friends have flooded the comment sections on the couple’s social media pages. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Jonas Bare and Cynthia Hovsepian is asked to contact either the Fairbanks Police Department at 907-450-6500 and reference incident 23 003095, or the Alaska State Troopers in Fairbanks at 907-451-5100 and reference incident AK23085703 - or email crupe@fairbanks.us. Read More Katy Perry songwriter missing – live: Fears grow for Camela Leierth-Segura after Beverly Hills disappearance Musician who wrote Katy Perry hit song mysteriously vanishes from Beverly Hills Boy with autism, 9, found dead after losing parents at Brooklyn Ikea

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