EVERY DAY, TheJournal.ie brings you a round-up of all the day’s main news as well as the bits and pieces that you may have missed.

• Environment Minister Phil Hogan has confirmed that motor tax will be increased in next month’s budget. His comments came as AA warned that motorists are facing a particularly grim budget.
• The  sporting world has been shocked by the news that Gary Speed, the manager of Wales of football team, has died. Reports indicate the former Everton, Leeds and Bolton star hanged himself at his home in Cheshire. Tributes have been pouring in throughout the afternoon.
• The body of a crewman aboard a ship which sank in the Irish Sea has been found as rescuers, including Prince William, continue the search for five people still missing after the ship sank off the north-west coast of Wales overnight. Two men were initially rescued after the ship sank.
• Fianna Fáil has called on Coillte CEO David Gunning to take the 15 per cent pay cut the government has asked all chiefs of semi-state bodies to take.
• David Drumm has spoken in-depth to Irish-American journalist Niall O’Dowd in an interview published today. The former CEO of Anglo Irish Bank insists authorities knew about the bank’s activities prior to its collapse and says he won’t be returning to Ireland because of a “witch hunt”.
• It is being reported in Italy that the IMF is preparing a whopping €600 billion bailout fund for the struggling eurozone nation. No doubt it would boost the hopes of new premier Mario Monti getting the economy moving in Italy but where would the money come from?
• For no particular reason here’s a video of animals including lions and tigers playing on iPads (via jashmenn):

• Syria has had unprecedented sanctions imposed upon it by the Arab League amid growing calls for an end to a violent suppression of protests against president Bashar Assad.
• Vladimir Putin has issued a warning to the West not to interfere in Russian politics as he – to little surprise – was selected by his party to contest the forthcoming presidential election he is widely expected to win.
• The political blogger Guido Fawkes has been called to appear before the Leveson inquiry into press standards and ethics in the UK after a controversial disclosure on his blog this morning. Irish-based Guido, whose real name is Paul Staines, published details of the evidence former Downing Street communications chief Alastair Campbell will give at Leveson on Wednesday.
• Do you know your IQ? If you do but even if you don’t you may be interested to read these 11 uncomfortable facts about how your IQ affects your life.
• A Christmas charity single was recorded at a Dublin hotel today and it’s all down to the magic of Twitter. Check out how one woman’s idea last Saturday has become reality this Sunday.
• As you can see in our picture, local celebrities have joined forces with Clontarf residents and business owners to protest against Dublin City Council’s planned flood defence structure which has caused some ire in the area.
• A man spent eight hours in quicksand which wasn’t quick enough to consume him before he was eventually rescued by authorities in Utah.
• While in Maryland things were not so cool for ‘Frosty the Snowman’ who was arrested by police during a Christmas parade.
• Our colleagues over on Boards.ie have launched their annual Boards.ie Photo Book featuring a collection of the year’s best photos from their photgraphy forum. Check out some of the work here.
• Finally and on the subject of pictures, do you feature in this collection of shots from Ireland’s mod scene in the 1970s and 1980s?

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