communities were hit by tropical storm and declared a state of national calamity. entire villages were washed away. at least 900 were killed and hundreds more missing. the iraqi government issued an arrest warrant for the vice president there. some of his bodyguards confessed to carrying out bombing attacks under his orders. those other top stories on cnn. world business today starts right now. hello. welcome to world business today. i m charles hodson in london. and i m pauline chu in hong kong. the top stories. a time of transition as people pay respects in north korea. the world waits to see what shape succession will take. the struggle to save europe s single currency continues as an emergency cash drive falls short. if you ve still got last minute presents to buy, we ve got the gift guide for you. in north korea, it s a time of deep mourning. in the rest of the world, it s a time of deep unease. one of the world s most cyclic nations, one with nuclear c