For the last three years, light shows on the Bund have been successfully held for New Year's Eve celebrations, but this year the light show was canceled and there were fewer police on hand.
Moscow responded to the conciliatory moves by signalling the cancellation of threats to deploy short-range missiles in its Kaliningrad exclave, which sits within the EU.
Acclaimed Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa, who had been diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in January, said he was recovering well, but decided to cancel more concerts to concentrate on treatment.
In March his aides let slip that he would make a big announcement during a stop at the state Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia, only to retract the whole plan for reasons that still remain opaque.
As to why Google lost its usual no. 1 spot, Fortune says nothing bad about the Mountain View, Calif. -based Internet concern - except that it has cut frills like afternoon tea and an annual ski trip.
Participants must wear the number bibs to enter relevant zones for roll-call and wear them throughout the race. The participant will be disqualified from the race if they do not have the number bibs.
Soon afterward, the Federal government drastically cut down its expenditures for this purpose and later abolished them, causing a sharp drop in the number of nursery schools in operation.