Good evening and welcome to the Daily Record's headline briefing.
Today's top stories include all the latest news from Scotland's 2021 Budget announcement.
The Daily Record also reported that a top Scots prosecutor had been found dead at his home in Edinburgh.
Here is everything you need to know to keep up to date.
Top Crown Office prosecutor found dead in Edinburgh home as police probe death
A top Scottish prosecutor has been found dead in his home.
Stephen O’Rourke QC, who took on the role of principal crown counsel in October, was discovered at his home in Edinburgh on Wednesday.
Police confirmed a probe was underway into the 45-year-old's death and that a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.
‘Trusted’ Scots secretary who embezzled £90k to fund gambling habit sells home to dodge jail
A bookkeeper who plundered £90,000 from a construction firm to fund a gambling habit is selling her £115,000 home in a bid to avoid jail.
Andrea Cochrane, 52, worked as a trusted company secretary for more than 30 years but stole thousands to fund a £700 a day gambling addiction.
She was fired after horrified bosses at A Steel & Son Contractors in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, discovered a string of bogus payments.
Scottish Budget 2021: Five key points and what it means for you
Kate Forbes has delivered a Scottish Budget she claims will help tackle the climate emergency, support economic recovery and reduce inequalities.
The SNP's finance secretary blamed the impact of Brexit for the size of the budget being tabled - and claimed Scotland was paying a disproportionate price for exiting the EU.
But what does this mean for you?
Nicola Sturgeon 'likely' to hold covid update as fears grow over Omicron variant in Scotland
Nicola Sturgeon is set to hold a coronavirus press conference on Friday as cases of the Omicron variant continue to rise across Scotland.
The First Minister is expected to address the nation on the latest situation regarding the pandemic from St Andrew's House in Edinburgh.
Sturgeon issued an update to the Scottish Parliament earlier this week where she revealed that cases of the new strain, which was first identified in southern Africa, had increased ten fold.
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Scottish Budget: Minimum wage to rise to £10.50 an hour for public sector workers
The Scottish Government will implement a "minimum wage floor" for public sector staff of £10.50 per hour, Kate Forbes has said.
She told MSPs in the Scottish Parliament that workers on low pay would get help in the next financial year.
The Finance Secretary said the government would guarantee inflationary rises of at least £775 for those on less than £25k-a-year, £700 for people on £25k to £40k and £500 for Scots taking in more than £40k per year.
