21.   The bank has a representative office in Beijing and plans to open its first Chinese branch in Shanghai by June, the report said.

22.   The bank was established in Berlin and opened its first branches in Bremen, Hamburg and Frankfurt.

23.   The bodybuilder-turned-movie star was in Israel last Thursday to open the first Mideast branch of the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain he has invested in.

24.   The first full-fledged Islamic branch, in Kota Baru, will begin operations in April.

25.   The first Asian branch of modern home and office furniture group, Habitat, opened its doors at the Siam Discovery Centre back in July.

26.   The man owning the franchise, Jean Zoghzoghy, said the first branch will open by the end of the summer and the second by the end of year.

27.   Hanil Bank officials said the first branch would be opened in New Delhi.

28.   A first branch will open in Nablus on Thursday followed by Ramallah and Bethlehem at dates still to be decided.

29.   Deutsche Bank, the biggest German banking group, was given approval on Tuesday to open its first commercial branch in Vietnam, the bank announced here.

30.   It is also the first bank branch from an ASEAN member country that includes Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.