India-Seychelles relations have been characterized by close friendship understanding and cooperation.

We can't equate democracy with Christianity because the largest democracy on earth is India which is primarily Hindu. The third largest democracy is Indonesia which is Islamic. Democracy and freedom are not dependent on Christian beliefs.

Violent means will give violent freedom. That would be a menace to the world and to India herself.

I think there is a real misconception about Indian food being super spicy. And I know that's because when you go into an Indian restaurant it is pretty spicy. But it doesn't have to be. In fact my husband can't handle a lot of heat. I've had to temper my cooking so that he can eat with me.

When I was younger I was fat. I was never conscious of it and was content with who I was because I was so loved. My mother never told me to lose weight and my father doted on me but my agent told me. I tried but I loved Indian food too much.

I like to cook Indian food when I can. I find the process of creating a home-cooked meal to be unwinding.

One can hardly be Indian and not know that almost every accent which hand you eat your food with has some deeper symbolic truth reality.

But Australia faces additional regional and global challenges also crucial to our nation's future - climate change questions of energy and food security the rise of China and the rise of India. And we need a strong system of global and regional relationships and institutions to underpin stability.

In my travels I also noticed that kids in Thailand like spicy food and kids in India love curry. I'm hoping to introduce my son Hudson to lots of veggies and spices when he's young. I say that before he's started on solid foods so it could be easier in theory than practice!

My late wife Olympia was Goan and I've been to India many times. I love the food there. We used to do our shopping in Southall where you can find cheap but wonderful fruit like mangoes vegetables and spices. I didn't do much of the cooking as Olympia did a lot - I was the under-chef and did some of the chopping.