China has ample reason to oppose the ramp-up of American military pressure on Venezuela and the recent US interceptions of tankers tied to its oil.

Venezuela has accused the United States of the "greatest extortion" at an emergency session of the UN Security Council in New York.

The president said that his administration would start by building two of these new battleships, which he says will have nuclear missile capability, NPR's Quil Lawrence tells Up First.

By Idrees Ali, Jonathan Saul and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON/LONDON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard is waiting for additional forces to arrive before potentially attempting to board and seize a Venezuela-linked oil tanker it has been pursuing since Sunday,

Donald Trump has said the US will keep or sell the crude oil contained on tankers it has seized off the coast of Venezuela, as well as the vessels themselves.