July 26 (Bloomberg) -- The following are the top stories on metals, agriculture and shipping. TOP STORY: Copper Rises a First Day in Five as Strike Fuels Supply Concern Copper rose in London for the first day in five as a strike at the world's biggest mine fueled speculation supply will fall short of demand. COMMODITY EXCLUSIVES: De Beers Diamond Sales Rise to Record; Output Target Reduced (1) De Beers, producer of more than a third of the world's rough diamonds, said first-half sales rose to a record as price gains mitigated below-target output. BP Chief 'Open' to Refining Spinoff as Earnings Miss Estimates BP Plc Chief Executive Officer Robert Dudley said "all options" are possible including a refining spinoff as Europe's second-biggest oil company reported earnings that missed analysts' estimates. Nuclear Power Pays Price for Fukushima on Loan: India Credit Nuclear Power Corp. of India is paying the price for Japan's Fukushima disaster as lenders seek higher rates to fund the world's largest atomic power project. Tepco Draft Compensation Bill Seeks Stakeholder Cooperation (3) Tokyo Electric Power Co. shareholders and related parties will be asked to help compensate those affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster, according to a revised draft of legislation. Japan Corn Cargoes at Quarter-Century Low: Freight Markets (1) Japan, the world's biggest corn importer, may buy the fewest cargoes in a quarter century as concern about radiation- tainted meat curbs livestock production. Apollo Global Management Said to Market Natural Resources Fund Apollo Global Management LLC, the private-equity firm founded by Leon Black, aims to raise as much as $1.5 billion for a fund that will invest in natural resources, said a person familiar with the matter. Oil Supplies Decline for Eighth Week in Survey: Energy Markets U.S. crude oil supplies fell for an eighth week, the longest stretch of declines in more than three years, as increased profit margins boosted production at refineries, a Bloomberg News survey showed. JPMorgan Hires Ex-Barclays Commodities Banker for Japan (1) JPMorgan Chase & Co. hired Naoki Mita, a former Barclays Plc commodities banker in Tokyo, to help bolster its fuel, currency and metal hedging operations in Japan. Drought Withers Smallest Hay Crop in Century to Boost Beef Costs The smallest U.S. hay crop in more than a century is withering under a record Texas drought, boosting the cost of livestock feed for dairy farmers and beef producers from California to Maryland. INDUSTRIAL METALS: Norsk Hydro Rises Most in 4 Weeks as Profit Beats Estimates (1) Norsk Hydro ASA, Europe's third-largest aluminum maker, rose the most in almost four weeks in Oslo trading after second- quarter profit beat estimates. Copper-Alloy Product Output in Japan Falls on Car Output (1) Japan's output of copper and copper-alloy fabricated products, including sheets and tubes, slumped 4.2 percent in June as car production remained subdued after the March earthquake, an industry group said.

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