The recent appearance of Bank of England governor Mark Carney before the Treasury Select Committee cast some long shadows over the value of economic forecasts, even those from central banks.

Last week, the International Monetary Fund held a briefing in Washington to update its World Economic Outlook.

This week will likely be remembered for the UK Prime Minister's Brexit "clarity" speech, a range of comments at Davos, and President Trump's protectionist "America First" inaugural address.

Average life expectancy in high income countries such as the UK, Germany, the US, Australia and Canada is set to increase by 2030 while South Koreans are likely to live the longest, according to research published in the British medical journal Lancet.

This week, a covered agreement between Europe and the US was announced after prolonged discussions, and could potentially greatly enhance international reinsurance regulation.

It was a relatively quiet period for the global insurance market over the Christmas and New Year festive time, but there were some important happenings.