No drop down list after submitting publication with "non-existing" event

After copy-and-pasting my publications details, the system complains "Please provide an existing event, otherwise create a new one using the '+' button on the right", however, at least in the event input box highlighted in red, neither the drop down list nor the auto completion works. Then, after adding the event (which probably was already in the system), the input box stays red, hitting the submit button again reloads the same error message and the same error behaviour continues.

Also with a fresh publication form, I don't get any drop down list or auto completion for the event input field. This is all testing with Firefox 9.0.1 (up-to-date).

As to the drop down list not showing when hitting the triangle and to not see any list when typing words that definitely should be in the system, I have the same error with IE9 under Windows 7. Other than last week (and with a different browser), submitting with a new event added via the plus sign works though (ignoring that I cannot complete the co-author list, see Cannot add co-author.)