As temperatures soar, activists call for urgent action to save the planet

NEW YORK/BANGKOK — Climate change campaigners gathered in New York's Times Square on Earth Day to urge action on global warming and cuts in the use of plastics as volunteers worldwide planted trees and cleared trash to mark the 54th annual celebration of the environment.

Earth Day this year, on Saturday, followed weeks of extreme weather, with temperatures soaring to record highs in Thailand and with a punishing heatwave in India, where at least 13 people died of heatstroke at a recent ceremony.

On Saturday, Thai authorities warned residents across large swathes of the country, including the capital Bangkok, to avoid going outdoors due to extreme heat.