Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News from EconoTimes

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Fri, Dec 26, 2025 02:26 AM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Ian Hickie

Professor of Psychiatry, University of Sydney
From 2000 to 2003 Professor Hickie was CEO of beyondblue: the national depression initiative, and from 2003-2006 he served as its Clinical Advisor. In 2003, he was appointed as the Executive Director of the Brain & Mind Research Institute (BMRI).

In 2006, Professor Hickie received the Australian Honours Award of Member (AM) in the General Division; for services to medicine in the development of key national mental health initiatives and general practice services in both the public and non-government sectors. In October of that same year, the Australian Financial Review included Professor Hickie in its list of the top 10 cultural influences. The specific comments noted his role as a “long-term campaigner”, “the person who orchestrated the campaign” that led to the COAG announcements ($4 billion over five years).

Professor Hickie was appointed to the Prime Minister’s Australian National Council on Drugs from 2007 to 2011, and has led the BMRI as a founding member of the new National Youth Mental Health Foundation (‘headspace’). Also in this year, Professor Hickie was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.

From 2008-2013, he is one of the first round of new NHMRC 2008 Australian Fellows. From 2008 to 2011 he was appointed to the Federal Health Minister’s new National Advisory Council on Mental Health. In November 2009, Professor Hickie received the Research Australia national advocacy award for his work in mental health. In 2011 he was appointed to the Mental Health Expert Working Group (MHEWG), Department of Health and Ageing.

Online therapies can improve mental health, and there are no barriers to accessing them

Mar 06, 2019 14:16 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

In recent weeks, the Medicare Benefits Schedule Review Tasforces Mental Health Reference Group published its report and recommendations, part of a wide-ranging review of services subsidised by Medicare. They recommended...

If we're to have another inquiry into mental health, it should look at why the others have been ignored

Oct 30, 2018 12:39 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has promised to hold a royal commission into mental health if Labor wins the November state election. Last weeks announcement comes a couple of weeks after the federal government asked the...

Economy

Tokyo Core Inflation Stays Above BOJ Target, Strengthening Case for Further Rate Hikes

Core consumer prices in Tokyo, Japans capital, rose 2.3% in December compared with the same period a year earlier, reinforcing expectations that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) may continue raising interest rates in the coming...

Russian Stocks End Lower as Energy and Mining Shares Weigh on MOEX Index

Russian stocks closed lower on Thursday, as declines in the oil gas, telecoms, and mining sectors pressured the broader market. The MOEX Russia Index finished the session down 0.26%, reflecting cautious sentiment among...

Taiwan Stock Market Ends Higher as Semiconductor and Energy Shares Lead Gains

Taiwan stocks closed higher on Thursday, supported by broad-based gains across key sectors including semiconductors, oil, gas and electricity, as well as construction. The Taiwan Stock Exchange Weighted Index finished the...

BOJ Governor Signals Gradual Rate Hikes as Japan’s Inflation Nears 2% Target

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said Japans underlying inflation is steadily accelerating and moving closer to the central banks long-standing 2% target, reinforcing expectations that interest rate hikes will continue if...

UBS Warns of Short-Term Risks as Precious Metals Rally to Record Highs

Gold, silver, and platinum have surged to fresh record highs heading into the year-end holiday period, drawing strong attention across global commodity markets. However, UBS is urging investors to exercise caution, warning...

Politics

White House East Wing Ballroom Plans Face Scrutiny Ahead of January Hearing

The White House is set to reveal new details about President Donald Trumps proposed East Wing ballroom during a federal commission hearing scheduled for early next month, according to official notices. The project, which...

Zelenskiy Discusses Ukraine Peace Efforts With Trump Envoys

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that he held an extensive discussion with U.S. President Donald Trumps special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, focusing on possible ways to...

Kim Jong Un Signals Continued Missile Development as North Korea Plans Five-Year Military Modernization

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has signaled that the country will continue to advance its missile capabilities over the next five years, underscoring Pyongyangs ongoing focus on strengthening its military deterrence....

US Airstrikes Target Islamic State Militants in Northwest Nigeria Amid Rising Security Concerns

The United States has carried out airstrikes against Islamic State militants operating in northwest Nigeria, according to a statement made by U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday. The strikes were described as a direct...

U.S. Judge Blocks Deportation of British Anti-Disinformation Campaigner Imran Ahmed Amid Free Speech Dispute

A U.S. federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from detaining or deporting Imran Ahmed, a British anti-disinformation campaigner and U.S. permanent resident, following a legal challenge over an entry...

Science

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Technology

Nvidia to Acquire Groq in $20 Billion Deal to Boost AI Chip Dominance

NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) has reportedly agreed to acquire Groq, a fast-growing designer of high-performance artificial intelligence accelerator chips, in a $20 billion all-cash transaction, according to a CNBC report. The...

Texas App Store Age Verification Law Blocked by Federal Judge in First Amendment Ruling

A federal judge in Texas has blocked the enforcement of a new state law that would have required app stores and developers to verify users ages, marking a significant legal win for major technology companies and digital...

FTC Praises Instacart for Ending AI Pricing Tests After $60M Settlement

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has welcomed Instacarts decision to end its artificial intelligence-based price testing, a move that follows weeks of consumer backlash and regulatory scrutiny. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson...

John Carreyrou Sues Major AI Firms Over Alleged Copyrighted Book Use in AI Training

Investigative journalist John Carreyrou, widely known for exposing fraud at Silicon Valley blood-testing startup Theranos and for authoring the bestselling book Bad Blood, has filed a new copyright infringement lawsuit...

Italy Fines Apple €98.6 Million Over App Store Dominance

Italys competition authority has imposed a 98.6 million ($115.53 million) fine on U.S. technology giant Apple and two of its subsidiaries, citing alleged abuse of a dominant market position related to the distribution of...