title: North Korea rejects direct talks with South Korea in Russia: RIA
text: MOSCOW (Reuters) - North Korean officials have rejected a proposal to hold direct talks with their South Korean counterparts in St Petersburg, the RIA news agency reported on Monday. Moscow had called on the two countries, who are both represented at a parliamentary forum in Russia, to use the opportunity to hold direct talks to try to narrow their differences over Pyongyang s missile programme. But, RIA, citing the head of the North Korean delegation, said Pyongyang had rejected the idea.  