METALS-Aluminium gains as Alcoa strikes, Rusal sanctions stoke supply fears

Aluminium prices rose strongly for a second day on Thursday, hitting their highest since late June after a strike at Alcoa alumina refineries in Australia and warnings of shutdowns by Rusal revived concerns of supply shortages. Benchmark aluminium on the London Metal Exchange (LME) was up 1.6 percent at $2,139.50 a tonne at 1028 GMT after rising 3.3 percent on Wednesday. The meta