Morning briefing: Michael Noonan flies to US amid fears of job losses in Ireland. Catch up on all the headlines

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

IRELAND

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has flown to the US to hold crisis talks  with leading Irish-based multi-national firms as fears grow of an exodus of jobs from Ireland under Donald Trump’s presidency.

The majority of people who receive a disability allowance believe mental health is the issue that affects them the most  — ahead of any mobility or physical issue.

The Government is unlikely to accept a partial publication of two HSE reports into the Grace foster abuse scandal  and may attempt to force their immediate and full release if they are not made public this week.

Former justice minister Alan Shatter does not deserve an apology over the Guerin report fallout,  ays a senior Government minister.

A row has erupted in Kerry after members of the Healy-Rae political dynasty were accused of “shamelessly”  taking credit for the work of other councillors.

WORLD

New Zealand's prime minister visited the scene after a powerful earthquake  rocked the country, triggering landslides and a small tsunami and leaving two people dead.

The man accused of the terror-related murder of British Labour MP Jo Cox will stand trial  at the Old Bailey later.

Get all the latest on Donald Trump's election as US President HERE.

The Ecuadorian government has welcomed moves by the Swedish authorities to interview Julian Assange   inside its embassy over a sex allegation.

SPORT

Ireland might have gone clear at the summit of Group D  but Martin O’Neill is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

If the name of the game in Ireland’s World Cup qualifying group is to pick your rivals off one by one, then Harry Arter feels Austria  might be the first victim to perish.

Joe Schmidt believes Ireland’s sensational victory over the All Blacks has “poked the bear”  ahead of their rematch with the world champions in Dublin on Saturday.

Hubris has been a rare commodity on Notorious nights over the past three years as  Conor McGregor has risen  from reluctant plumber to unrepentant showman in the self-anointed fasted growing sport in the world.

OPINION

Commission of inquiry will be set up despite an orchestrated campaign to destroy the reputations of whistleblowers  who exposed scandal, writes Political Editor Daniel McConnell

US domestic and economic policy are likely to change utterly now Donald Trump is in power,  but his foreign policy remains a mystery, writes TP O’Mahony.

BUSINESS

Finance Minister Michael Noonan is expected to offer reassurances about the country's  enduring appeal  when he meets potential investors in the United States this week.

Growth in the Irish construction industry has hit a seven-month high,  new figures indicate.

LIFESTYLE

Melania Trump will be only the second immigrant First Lady  and the first to have posed nude in a magazine, writes Suzanne Harrington

SHOWBIZ

EastEnders star Danny Dyer has discovered he is a direct descendant of two kings of England and has blood ties to Henry VIII’s adviser Thomas Cromwell.  The soap star will be the first subject of the new series Who Do You Think You Are?, which will reveal that Danny, 39, is related to William the Conqueror and Edward III.

VIRAL

You’ve all seen the John Lewis Christmas ad my now, right? Humans have been loving it  for its cutesy central character Buster the Boxer (real name Biff), whose trampolining has made him a star. And it turns out his real-world canine counterparts are also getting a lift from the ad.

VIDEO - OUR CHOICE

Joy Neville has become the first female referee to take charge of an Ulster Bank League Division 1A game.  The former Irish international retired in 2013 after winning the Six Nations Grand Slam but before the end of the year she was back in her boots, as a referee.

TECHNOW

GAMING: Dishonored 2 is out now. Why aren't you playing it?

MOVIES/TV: Star Wars Rogue One is in cinemas in a few short weeks, and the trailers are getting more and more emotional.

TECH: The PlayStation 4 Pro is out, and it remains to be seen if Sony's experiment in mid-generation upgrades manages to draw in new or returning customers.

MOST READ RIGHT NOW

US domestic and economic policy are likely to change utterly now Donald Trump is in power,  but his foreign policy remains a mystery, writes TP O’Mahony.