ECONOMY The Czech Republic's rate of GDP growth slowed to 0.8% in the year to the third quarter, down from 4.0% a year earlier. In November, 12-month consumer-price inflation fell in China (to 1.1%) and Israel (to 8.2%) but rose in Portugal (to 2.1%). In the year to November, China's visible-trade surplus grew to $38.6 billion. Israel's trade deficit widened slightly.