Scotland trending: Today’s most talked-about stories

TODAY’s top stories on social media from Scotland and beyond, including Storm Abigail and Jihadi John.

Haggis could be back on the menu in the United States, according to Richard Lochhead. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

20,000 homes cut off amid Storm Abigail

Storm Abigail has torn through northern Scotland, cutting off 20,000 homes amid gusts which peaked at 84mph in South Uist.

A total of 56 schools were closed today - 32 in Shetland and 24 in the Western Isles.

The Met Office has warned: “Be aware that, given already-saturated conditions, flooding is possible either from standing water or from rivers which have remained high after the large rainfall totals over the last few days.”

Haggis set to return to the US

Haggis could be back on the menu in the United States in the next 24 months as a result of changes in the rules due to be published next year, Scotland’s Rural Affairs Secretary has said.

After holding talks with Lisa Mensah, an under-secretary in the US Department of Agriculture, and representatives of the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Mr Lochhead said they had confirmed draft rules to be published in 2016 would pave the way for sales of both haggis and Scotch lamb in the US from the following year.

Rolf Harris hospitalised after ‘chocolate overdose’

The 85-year-old is feared to have fallen ill after gorging on chocolate and sweets in jail despite being diabetic, according to the Daily Mirror.

Singer Vince Hill, 81, told the newspaper that he had heard from one of the ex-children’s entertainer’s friends that Harris had “sort of overdosed on chocolate”.

Harris was jailed for five years and nine months in July 2014 after being found guilty of indecently assaulting four girls.

‘Jihadi John’ targeted in US air strike

An airstrike targeting the British IS militant Mohammed Emwazi, known as Jihadi John, has been carried out in Syria by US forces.

The extremist – who is reported to have died as a result of the US military action – appeared in a number of beheading videos, including those in which UK hostages Alan Henning and David Haines were killed.

It was not until February this year that the jihadist was unmasked as Kuwaiti-born Emwazi, who lived in the UK since the age of six.

Celtic break silence over Rangers title stripping

Celtic have broken their silence on the subject of whether Rangers should be stripped of titles in the wake of the Ibrox club losing the Big Tax Case.

While not wishing to comment too much on an active case, since the verdict can still be appealed, the club did underline their “surprise” at the 2013 findings of an independent commission, chaired by Lord Nimmo Smith, which investigated whether Rangers had gained an unfair sporting advantage through the use of the scheme.