History may well repeat itself at forum

As Europe battles the wintry gloom, a sense of uncertainty is shrouding the continent and sending a deep chill into economic forecasts.

The European Central Bank is poised to announce a round of quantitative easing at its policy meeting on Thursday, in the wake of the Swiss decision to scrap the franc's exchange rate cap with the euro. The Greek election on Sunday and the lingering geopolitical tension in Ukraine do little to warm the climate.

At home, China's stock market has just witnessed its steepest fall in six years, following a crackdown on speculative credit, adding to an unsettling outlook for capital markets.