01/06/2016 Newsround

Hey, everyone!

Ayshah here with this morning's big stories.

First, the world's longest and deepest railway tunnel

is being officially opened in Switzerland today.

The Gotthard base tunnel is 57 seven kilometres long

and took 17 years to build.

Engineers dug deep under the Alps mountain range to make a high speed

rail link between the Netherlands in Northern Europe

and Italy in the south.

Now to something else that's massive -

the Square Kilometre Array project.

When it's finished, the radio telescope will be the most powerful

in the world and be able to search further into space than ever before.

There's one big question scientists hope it will help us answer.

Aliens.

Are they really out there?

And, if so, are we ever going to find them?

The universe is vast.

Our solar system is one of the solar systems around a sun,

which is one of the millions of stars in our galaxy.

Our galaxy is one among the millions of galaxies

in the universe.

So, why not?

Maybe there is life somewhere in another solar

system in another galaxy.

That is what scientists are trying to find out

with the help of these.

This is the Square Kilometre Array project.

When it is finished, it will be the world's most

powerful radio telescope, so sensitive that it will be able

to detect a signal from a planet that is tens of light years away.

These telescopes are listening for intelligent life

and that is why they have decided to build them here.

What makes this place in South Africa perfect

is that there is no radio waves around to mess up the signal.

That's no microwaves, no mobile phones -

I've had to turn mine off.

Every day, these dishes are collecting massive amounts

of data, which will eventually be processed by a supercomputer

in the UK where experts will look for any signs of life.

How do you go about looking for alien signals?

Well, you have got big telescopes like that and they can go listen

in the universe and listen for radio signals from other planets

where we hope they also have radio signals and maybe we can detect

some of these signals.

How would we know that an alien has tried to contact us?

We are looking for intelligent signals, signals that are not

from nature but that are made by intelligent creatures.

Will we ever be able to find an alien?

I certainly hope so.

I hope to find them once in my lifetime.

It would be such a big discovery.

But it could be very long and it could also take very long

to communicate with them because the signals take maybe years

to go to the civilisation and also take years to get back,

so one simple question and answer could take, like, 40 years.

Of course, there's no guarantee that other civilisations exist

beyond our world, but, if they do, it might not be long before

SKA finds them.

Someone who might have a thing or two to say about aliens

is British astronaut Tim Peake.

In less than three weeks' time he returns to Earth

from the International Space Station and here's what he said when asked

what his first meal would be after coming back home.

The unhealthy version would be pizza.

A healthy version would be a nice fresh salad with some fresh fruit.

Both, actually, I really crave.

I'd go for pizza every time, Tim!

Come back at 8.15am when we'll be hearing more from him,

including his highlight of being in space.

Some quick football news to finish.

England have announced who they're sending to France for the 2016

European Championships.

Manchester United's teenage striker Marcus Rashford has been named

in Roy Hodgson's England squad.

He only made his professional debut in February, but his successful

performance since then has earned him an international call-up.

Jamie Vardy, the superstar forward who helped send Leicester City

to the top of the Premier League, has also made the cut.

Wayne Rooney will captain the 23-man England squad.

Wales manager Chris Coleman has announced that Joe Ledley's been

selected for Euro 2016 after returning to training

less than a month after fracturing his leg.

The Wales boss says Ledley is looking good and should be back

for the group stages.

That's all from me.

I'll be back in about half-an-hour.