With most major economies in East Asia suffering their deepest recessions since World War II, brave is the forecaster willing to say just when the sun will come out -- and how strongly it will shine.

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The chances are that on midsummer night in 2050, the dancers round the maypoles will be older, greyer and slower, and some of the people sailing the boats in the fjords will be brown even if the sun doesn't shine.

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But it will not melt snow, build new runways to ease congestion, make the sun shine or prevent air traffic control strikes or disruptions.

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