Taiwan's claim to be a regional bastion of human rights is undermined by its retention of capital punishment, activists say as they campaign to exonerate the island's oldest death row prisoner.

The death toll from a powerful earthquake in Taiwan has risen to 13 after another body was found in the hard-hit Taroko National Park. Meanwhile, over 600 people — including nearly 450 at a hotel in the national park — remained stranded three days after the island's strongest earthquake in 25 years.

Taiwanese rescuers are working to reach scores of people still trapped after Wednesday's earthquake. The 7.4 magnitude earthquake has affected all of Taiwan, but worst hit was Hualien, in the east of the island.

Rescuers airlifted survivors trapped in a mountainous area of Taiwan on Friday, two days after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked the island and left at least 12 people dead.

Taiwan quake: Emergency response focuses on Hualien.

Taiwan matters hugely to the global economy because of its dominance in chip production. A Chinese blockade of Taiwan would shatter that all-important sector and as a result would wreak havoc on the global economy.

China and Nauru re-established diplomatic ties on Wednesday, after the tiny Pacific island nation unexpectedly severed relations with its now former ally Taiwan in a move the United States described as "unfortunate".

Two former US officials will visit the self-governing island to promote "cross-Strait peace and stability." Although the US does not have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it is the island's main backer.

William Lai’s win in Saturday’s first-past-the-post presidential race means an unprecedented third straight term for what the mainland has dubbed the “pro-separatist” Democratic Progressive Party. We’ll hear what the victor - who is also the outgoing vice-president - had to say against the long and steady ratcheting up of tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the carefully-staged response from Washington with the visit of a high-level bipartisan delegation.

S. Leo Chiang is a Taiwanese-American film director based in San Francisco and Taipei. His most recent short film "Island in Between", about his deeply complex relationship with his Taiwanese identity – specifically in relation to China – has been nominated for an Oscar.

Images of the Indian prime minister promoting India's idyllic Lakshadweep islands have exacerbated tensions with the Maldives, which is turning more towards China under a new government.

Taiwan is the world's leading producer of microchips — used in cellphones, cars, refrigerators and weapons. A Chinese invasion would deal a devastating blow to the global high-tech supply chain.