Saturday,  August 25, 2012 • Vol. 13--No. 042 • 27 of 34 •  Other Editions

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AP News in Brief
Refinery explosion in Venezuela leaves at least 7 dead, dozens injured, state governor says

• CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- An explosion rocked the Amuay refinery in Venezuela early Saturday, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens, an official said.
• Falcon state Gov. Stella Lugo gave the initial death toll on state television, saying at least 48 people were injured.
• People who were nearby at the time of the blast early Saturday posted video on the Internet showing a ball of fire over the refinery.
• Lugo said firefighters and National Guard troops were securing the area after the blast at the refinery, located on the Paraguana Peninsula in western Venezuela.
• The blast occurred after 1 a.m. when a gas leak created a cloud that ignited, Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said. Some nearby houses were damaged by the blast, he said.
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Poll: Call them maybes; a fourth of voters undecided or soft supporters of Obama, Romney

• WASHINGTON (AP) -- Call them maybes.
• Two months out from Election Day, nearly a quarter of all registered voters are either undecided about the presidential race or iffy in their support for a candidate, an Associated Press-GfK poll shows.
• These voters could well prove decisive in a close contest. And they will be tough nuts for Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to crack.
• Just 29 percent of them have a strong interest in the campaign, compared with 51 percent of those who've made up their minds. So no, they won't be hanging on every word coming out of the national political conventions in Tampa, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C., over the next two weeks.
• Who are they? These so-called persuadable voters are more often men than women. They are a bit younger than those who've made up their minds. They have less education and income. And they are far less partisan.
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