Russia and North Korea sign partnership deal that appears to be the strongest since Cold War

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a new partnership that includes a vow of mutual aid if either country is attacked, during a Wednesday summit that came as both face escalating standoffs with the West. It could mark the strongest connection between Moscow and Pyongyang since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Putin's visited North Korea for the first time in 24 years, as the U.S. and its allies express growing concerns over an arms arrangement in which the country provides Moscow with badly needed munitions for its war…