Twitter brings curated 'Moments' to the UK

For years, Twitter has served us text, photos and videos in chronological format, allowing us to keep up with news and events the very minute they happen. That's great if you follow a wide range of people, but when information isn't centralised, it can be hard to stay up-to-date with developments. The company has dabbled with features like "While you were away" recaps, which have been met with mixed responses, but more recently it launched Moments: a feature that makes keeping up with trending topics and news items a whole lot easier. After being let loose in the US in October, Twitter has finally decided it's ready for testing in the UK.

From today, Twitter will begin rolling out the lightning symbol (pictured above) to its website and apps. When selected, you'll see curated slideshows of image and video tweets that are based around a trending topic or news item. Already, some users are seeing tweets focused on Tim Peake, who will become the first British astronaut in over 20 years to go to space.

Twitter has built an editorial team staffed by former journalists to curate feeds and deliver news that is most relevant for users. Selected media partners will also be able to show "Moments that matter now" around topics that include Today, Entertainment, News, Sport and Fun.

For many, Moments will be an unwanted addition to Twitter. However, the service will likely target new users who don't yet understand the point of Twitter or how it works. Facebook already offers a similar feature, which collates trending topics and lets users see all of the relevant Facebook posts and pages discussing them.