Italy in State of Emergency as Migrant Influx Rises.

Italy's right-wing government has declared a six-month national state of emergency to cope with a surge in migrants arriving on the country's southern shores. The state of emergency was deemed necessary "to carry out with urgency extraordinary measures to reduce congestion" at an overwhelmed migrant shelter on a tiny Italian island in the Mediterranean. The government has approved initial funding of 5 million euros ($5.5 million) and a special commissioner is expected to be named. Italy has pressed for more solidarity from fellow EU countries, which often don't make good on pledges to accept some of the asylum-seekers hoping to find relatives or work in northern Europe.