By KENNEDY MUPESENI –

THE prices of oil rose towards US$66 a barrel yesterday after China moved to bolster its flagging economy, raising hopes that the world’s top energy consumer would help absorb a global supply glut.
Reuters reports that China cut interest rates for the third time in six months on Sunday to stoke its sputtering economy, which is headed for its worst year in a quarter of century.
Brent crude for June was up by 20 cents at $65.59 a barrel after dropping 1.6 per cent last week.
June US light crude was up by 20 cents to $59.59 a barrel after rising for eight straight weeks, the longest winning stretch since late 2012 to early 2013.
For copper, the prices were steady on Monday after top metal user China cut interest rates at the weekend.
The prices of three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was flat at $6,392 a tonne, after ending last week with little change.
LME copper hit its highest for the year at $6,481 a tonne on May 5.
The most-traded July copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange slipped 0.2 percent to 45,790 yuan ($7,375.73) a tonne.
Locally, the Kwacha has continued showing stability against the United States dollar, trading between K7.30 and K7.50 on average in the past one week.
A check at Just in Time Bureau Dechange (JIT) on Freedom Way, yesterday shows the Kwacha trading at 7.30 and K7.48 for buying and selling respectively.
As for Struts Bureau De Change on Freedom Way, the local currency was buying and selling in the range of K7.30 and 7.50 respectively.
In its daily newsletter, Zanaco attributed thin flows of dollar from corporate and interbank players for the current performance of the Kwacha.