Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, April 27

JAKARTA — The number of casualties of an overloaded passenger-speed boat that capsized in the waters off Indonesia’s western province of Riau on Thursday increased to eight, with several others missing, an official said.

Kukuh Widodo, press officer at the provincial search and rescue office, told Xinhua by phone that a total of 58 people have been rescued by the joint-rescue team, comprised of the search and rescue office, soldiers, policemen and volunteers. (Indonesia-Boat-Death)

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate slowed down to 1.1 percent in the first quarter of this year, the U.S. Department of Commerce said in a statement on Thursday. (U.S.-Economy-Decline)

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ANKARA — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone talk with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday ahead of the inauguration ceremony of Türkiye’s first nuclear power reactor built by Russia.

Türkiye-Russia relations and regional issues were discussed during the phone talk, Erdogan’s office said in a statement. (Türkiye-Russia-Phone Call)

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KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — At least six commuters were killed and 18 others injured as a passenger bus turned turtle in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province on Thursday, provincial administration spokesman Hajji Zaid said.

The accident occurred in Daman district when a Kabul-bound bus overturned due to reckless driving on the Kandahar-Kabul highway Thursday morning, killing the six people and injuring 18 others, the official asserted without providing more details. (Afghanistan-Road Accident-Death).