Italy`s Monti condemns US blasts as `cowardly act`

Rome: Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti on Tuesday sent a message to US President Barack Obama condemning blasts at the Boston Marathon which left three dead and more than 100 injured as "a cowardly act". "I am sure that even in these painful circumstances, America will know how to react by reaffirming the fundamental values of its great civilization," the outgoing Italian premier said in reaction to the explosions on Monday. He said the blasts were "a cowardly act of violence that prompts disdain and leaves us shocked with its suffering and horror". Security was stepped up in major cities across the United States amid fears of a repeat of the September 11, 2001 attacks. AFP