Costa Concordia trial delayed

The captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship, which capsized last year killing 32 people, leaves an Italian court with media in hot pursuit.

A judge has ordered Captain Francesco Schettino's trial be postponed until the later in the month due to a nationwide lawyer's strike.

The ship carrying 4,000 passengers capsized off the coast of Giglio in January 2012 after it struck rocks during a manoeuvre that brought it too close to shore.

Schettino is charged with multiple counts of manslaughter and abandoning ship, since he left the stricken vessel before many of the crew and passengers had been rescued.

The captain contends he actually saved lives by steering the ship into shallower waters following the impact to help rescue operations.

On Tuesday, a few locals said Schettino shares some, but not all of the blame for the tragedy.

The young Moldovan woman reportedly on the bridge with Schettino during the accident also made an unexpected appearance in c