Muhammad Ali 'vastly improved'

Cassius Clay, later to become known as Muhammad Ali, rose to prominence at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, where he claimed a boxing gold medal in the light heavyweight division.

Ali boldly predicted how many rounds it would take him to knock out British boxer Henry Cooper ahead of their bout in London in 1963. The fight was stopped in the fifth round as Cooper was bleeding heavily from a cut around his eye and Ali was declared the winner. Cooper died in May 2011.

Ali first became a world champion in 1964, when he was still known as Cassius Clay. He upset the odds to defeat reigning champion Sonny Liston, a result which prompted him to yell "I'm the greatest" at gathered reporters.

In 1974, Ali took part in one of the most famous world championship fights in the history of boxing. He took on reigning champion George Foreman in Zaire, in a fight which was dubbed the "Rumble in the Jungle." Ali emerged victorious after flooring Foreman in the eighth round.

Ali provided one of the iconic images of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics when he lit the Olympic flame to officially declare the Games open.

In addition to lighting the flame, Ali also received a replacement gold medal for the one he had won 36 years earlier. Ali tossed the original into the Ohio River after being refused entry to a restaurant.

• Former world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali has pneumonia


• The illness was discovered quickly, Ali's spokesman says


• He is expected to be out of the hospital soon, the spokesman says


• Ali became heavyweight world champion for the first time in 1964

(CNN) -- Famed boxer Muhammad Ali has "vastly improved" after being hospitalized over the weekend with a mild case of pneumonia, his spokesman Bob Gunnell said.

"Ali's team of doctors hopes to discharge him soon," said Gunnell.

Ali, 72, was admitted to an undisclosed hospital on Saturday.

"The Ali family continues to request privacy and appreciates all of the prayers and well wishes," read a statement sent from Gunnell.

Ali was born Cassius Clay and won an Olympic gold medal as a light-heavyweight at 18.

In 1964, he became world heavyweight champion in an upset victory against then-champion Sonny Liston, according to Ali's official website.

Shortly thereafter, he changed his name to Muhammad Ali to reflect his conversion to Islam.

The boxer was also known for his protest against the Vietnam War and refusal to be drafted into service out of religious conviction.

He retired from boxing in 1981 and announced his diagnosis with Parkinson's disease three years later.

Ben Brumfield, Joe Sutton, Kevin Dotson and Mayra Cuevas contributed to this report.

Google's driverless car is adorable

A working prototype of Google's self-driving car has cameras and sensors, but no permanent driver controls.

• Google debuted its new, fully functioning driverless car prototype


• The round white car still includes temporary manual controls for a back-up driver


• While cute, the vehicle still has many serious issues to address before it can hit public roads

(CNN) -- Google's new driverless-car prototype is downright hugable.

The company unveiled its latest self-driving vehicle on Monday, and it looks like a cartoon koala crossed with a smart car wearing a fez.

Unlike the mock-up car Google first shared in May, this version is fully functional. It even has real headlights. The round, white and gray car is designed without permanent driving tools like a gas pedal or wheel. However, to comply with California state law, there are still removable, temporary controls for the required "safety driver" -- a real person who needs to be in the car and ready to take over in an emergency. The goal is to eventually remove any interior controls so that passengers can take a nap or knit while the car does all the work.

Google's self-driving car team will continue to test the vehicle on a private track in California, where it works its way around traffic lights and mock construction zones. Google has said it's interested in launching a pilot program for the cars in the coming years.

When the tech company first started experimenting with self-driving technology, it modified existing cars, like a Toyota, Audi and Lexus, by adding multiple cameras and sensors and an onboard computer. Now Google has moved on to making its own car from scratch. The car's dome-like shape is optimal for giving sensors the widest field of view.

A car could help put people's minds at ease about the controversial technology. Before self-driving cars can start ferrying us to work, companies need figure out ethical issues (does it hit a deer or crash into the median?), improve basic driving functions, and work with governments on legislation to allow driverless cars on all roads.

Google is just one of many companies developing driverless car technology. Universities and major auto manufacturers such as BMW and Mercedes are working on similar vehicles. Google hopes to have its version on the road by the end of the decade.

A special outfit just for drinking

A Kickstarter for a drinking jacket for those who like to imbibe has been successful.

• Pledges have topped $450,000 for the project


• The jacket is the brainchild of Zane Lamprey


• Lamprey hosts a show about drinking

(CNN) -- Too bad the Drinking Jacket won't be ready in time for this New Year's Eve.

A Kickstarter campaign looking to fund the apparel made for booze aficionados was only seeking $50,000, and has instead netted more than $450,000.

According to the Kickstarter page, the drinking jacket features a bottle opener zipper, both a hidden flask and neoprene koozie pockets, drinking mitts, and a sunglasses holder -- we presume to deal with the potential hangover (Advil not included). There is also a pocket specifically for the ID and money needed for a night of bar hopping.

Less than 24 hours to get your Drinking Jacket! http://t.co/KAXykK7MIu! http://ift.tt/1ATmNyt

— Zane Lamprey (@zanelamprey) December 22, 2014

The jacket is the brainchild of Zane Lamprey ,executive producer and host of "Chug," a fan-funded television show about, you guessed it, drinking. A pledge of $85 or more secures the Drinking Jacket, while those needing a tall size or a big and tall will have to ante up $90 and $95 respectively.

For the big spenders, a pledge of $1000 or more includes two jackets, two travel flasks and two tickets to both a dinner and a VIP party hosted by Lamprey.

The jacket is scheduled to ship in March 2015.

Bergdahl case moves up chain

U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl could face a court-martial investigating his disappearance from a base in Afghanistan.

Washington (CNN) -- The investigation into U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the soldier who was released by the Taliban in a prisoner swap this May, has been kicked up the chain of command.

The mountain of letters for Bowe Bergdahl

Mark Milley, the commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command, will decide whether Bergdahl will face a military court-martial over his disappearance from a base in Afghanistan before he was captured by the Taliban. The Pentagon did not release details into the results of the initial investigation.

June: Hagel gets fiery defending swap

Milley will pick from options ranging from taking no action against Bergdahl to initiating a court-martial proceeding into whether or not he deserted his post in Afghanistan.

Bergdahl returned safely to the U.S. this summer after he was traded for five Taliban prisoners in a controversial swap in late May.

See why Navy paid $3 billion

• Navy's new destroyer USS Zumwalt boasts operations center bristling with new technology


• Advanced workstations allow one sailor to do the work of several on older warships


• Although the Zumwalt is the Navy's largest destroyer, it has a small minimum crew of about 130


• The operations center is designed to be used by the video-game generation

(CNN) -- The Navy's new super stealthy destroyer, the USS Zumwalt, has a lot in common with Hollywood's starship Enterprise, according to folks who've seen it in person.

Much has been written about the Zumwalt's appropriately named commander, Capt. James Kirk. But aside from that coincidence, the ship's operations center utilizes advanced technology that takes multitasking to a deadly new level on the high seas.

First launched last year, this is a massive $3 billion warship -- the largest type of destroyer in the modern Navy by about 65%. One thing that sets it apart is a very small crew.

Compared with about 300 sailors needed for similar warships, the Zumwalt's minimum compliment is only 130.

The USS Zumwalt, the U.S. Navy's newest warship, floats out of dry dock Monday, October 28, in Bath, Maine. The first of the new DDG-1000 class of destroyers, it will be the Navy's largest stealthy ship when it begins missions.

The DDG-1000 is longer and faster than its predecessors, and it will carry state-of-the-art weapons that can destroy targets more than 60 miles away, according to the Navy.

The Zumwalt is 610 feet long and 81 feet wide. It weighs about half as much as the USS Arizona, which sunk at Pearl Harbor in 1941.

The ship is named in honor of Adm. Elmo R. "Bud" Zumwalt Jr., who was chief of naval operations from 1970-1974.

Capt. James A. Kirk, the executive assistant to the director of surface warfare, will be the commanding officer of the USS Zumwalt.

Much of the ship's superstructure is wrapped in a canopy made of lightweight carbon-fiber composite. The ship is also built on angles so that it is 50 times harder to spot on radar than an ordinary destroyer.

Coming out of dry dock does not mean the ship is ready to put to sea. The shipbuilder will now begin installing weapons. The Zumwalt will be equipped with a new missile-launching system capable of firing 80 missiles, including Tomahawk cruise missiles and Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missiles.

The Navy had planned to spend up to $20 billion to design and deliver seven DDG-1000 destroyers. But cost overruns cut production to three ships.

U.S. Navy's new stealth destroyer

U.S. Navy's new stealth destroyer

U.S. Navy's new stealth destroyer

U.S. Navy's new stealth destroyer

U.S. Navy's new stealth destroyer

U.S. Navy's new stealth destroyer

U.S. Navy's new stealth destroyer

U.S. Navy's new stealth destroyer

Photos: U.S. Navy's new stealth destroyer

Pentagon's platform for stealth dirt bike

The smaller crew is made possible by advanced automated systems which "make it much easier and much more effective for the sailor to operate," says former Navy Capt. Wade Knudson, who now serves as Zumwalt program director for Pentagon contractor, Raytheon.

In the operations center -- which in many ways is the heart of the ship -- sailors are surrounded by an array of video displays that have been designed to be used by a generation raised on video games, Knudson says.

Raytheon tested the technology configuration in the operation center with young, gamer sailors, Knudson says. "We've brought them down to our labs and we got direct feedback from them using human-factor engineers in order to make sure that we've integrated all the displays and information in a way that they can use the systems most effectively."

The result, he says, is less chance of making errors on the ship. "The system and the computer provide information to the sailor in a way that they're used to."

Work stations inside the center are outfitted with three common displays, Knudson says. "You can sit down at any of the systems and operate them."

A Raytheon mock-up of a Zumwalt operations center roughly similar to the facility aboard the Navy's newest destroyer.

At 610 feet long and 80 feet wide, the Zumwalt is about 100 feet longer and 20 feet wider than ships in the Navy's current fleet of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers featured in the action-packed 2012 film "Battleship."

Although it's huge, the Navy says this thing is surprisingly stealthy.

Much of the ship is built on angles that help make it 50 times harder to spot on radar than an ordinary destroyer. "It has the radar cross-section of a fishing boat," Chris Johnson, a spokesman for Naval Sea Systems Command, told CNN last year.

Meet Capt. James Kirk, commander of the USS Zumwalt

Sean Gallagher, of the self-described "alpha geek" website Ars Technica, got a chance last year to explore a mockup of the Zumwalt's operation center. The workstations are part of the ship's Common Display System -- nicknamed "keds" for short, Gallagher reported.

Sailors operate keds with "trackballs and specialized button panels," Gallagher reported. Operators have an option to interface by using touchscreens, if they prefer, according to Gallagher.

The whole operations center technology array saves manpower by allowing sailors to monitor multiple weapons systems or sensors, Gallagher reported. The Zumwalt, Gallagher wrote, also includes limited wireless networking capability.

"Theoretically, the ship could even be steered from the ops center—the ship is piloted by computer, not a helmsman," Gallagher wrote. CDS displays are built into the "commanding officer's and executive officer's chairs on the bridge," he reported.

The way all the ship's weapons, radar and other systems are displayed to users and the captain, Knudson told CNN, "it really give them unprecedented situational awareness."

The Zumwalt is about 100 feet longer than older Arleigh Burke-class destroyers like this one, the USS Ramage.

"That ability is truly going to be a game-changer."

In its current configuration, the Zumwalt will carry a considerable arsenal of weapons, including two Advanced Gun Systems (AGS), which can fire rocket-powered, computer-guided shells that can destroy targets 63 miles away. That's three times farther than ordinary destroyer guns can fire.

But one day it could be fitted with advanced weapons systems that are currently experimental, including a laser weapon and an electromagnetic railgun.

Electromagnetic railguns don't need to fool around with needless explosive warheads or propellants. These fearsome weapons inflict damage by sheer speed. The gun uses electromagnetic force to blast a missile 125 miles at 7.5 times the speed of sound, according to the Navy.

The laser weapon -- which could be fired by one sailor on a video game-like console -- is designed to take on aircraft or small surface vessels.

Read more about the Navy's plans for new weapons

Currently undergoing sea testing, Knudson says the Zumwalt is expected to join the rest of the Navy fleet sometime in 2016.

Airbus A350 XWB ready for fliers

Qatar Airways is the global launch customer of the Airbus A350 XWB, accepting delivery of the next-generation aircraft in a ceremony on December 22.

"It is more than a great day for Airbus," the manufacturer's CEO, Fabrice Bregier, told a press conference. "I would say it was an historic day."

Qatar Airways' new A350 will enter into service in January, serving flights between the airline's hub, Doha, and Frankfurt, Germany.

A closeup of the Qatar Airways A350 XWB wing 'Sharklet'.

Qatar Airways A350 XWB Tail close-up. The Gulf airline has ordered 80 of the aircraft, which has a list price of $295 million.

"With a streamlined nose and wrap-around cockpit windows, the A350 XWB has a unique sporty look -- which also contributes to its aerodynamic efficiency," says Airbus.

The fuselage of the Qatar Airways' A350-900, assembled at Airbus' headquarters in Toulouse, France.

At an event to mark the delivery, Airbus chief Fabrice Bregier, seen on the left, described Qatar Airways boss Akbar Al Baker as a "tough customer." He said: "You are demanding, sometimes for us a bit too demanding."

• Qatar Airways is the global launch customer of the A350, accepting delivery of the XWB plane on Monday


• The airline's new A350-900 will enter into service in January, operating on the Doha-Frankfurt route


• As of the end of November, Airbus has received 778 firm A350 orders from 41 customers

(CNN) -- The wait is finally over for aviation fanatics wanting to book a flight aboard the Airbus A350 XWB.

Qatar Airways, the global launch customer of the A350 XWB, accepted delivery of the commercial plane during a ceremony at Airbus' headquarters in Toulouse, France, on Monday morning.

"It is more than a great day for Airbus," the manufacturer's CEO, Fabrice Bregier, told a press conference. "I would say it was an historic day."

The "XWB" in the name means "extra wide body."

There are three different iterations of the plane being built: the A350-800, the A350-900 and the A350-1000, which seat 270, 314 and 350 passengers, respectively, in three-class seating.

Qatar Airways opted for a two-class, 283-seat configuration in its A350-900, offering 36 business class seats and 247 in economy class.

In total, the airline has ordered 80 of the airplanes -- 43 A350-900 jetliners and 37 of the longer-fuselage -1000 versions.

In a statement, the airline said it expects to induct the first eight production aircraft into its fleet before 2015 year-end.

Qatar Airways' new A350-900 will enter into commercial service in January, operating daily flights between its Hamad International Airport hub in Doha, Qatar and Frankfurt, Germany.

MORE: 2015: The year ahead in aviation

A close up of the Qatar Airways A350 XWB 'sharklet'.

Minor turbulence delays delivery

Monday's A350 delivery ceremony was originally supposed to take place on December 12, but the airline canceled the event just a few days beforehand.

Neither side initially offered an explanation, leaving aviation analysts to speculate on what was behind the hold up.

Qatar Airlines CEO Akbar Al Baker told Monday's press conference that the delay was related to one of its suppliers and was not an issue with Airbus.

"It's important to note that the aircraft has been delivered to us one week ahead of schedule, not late," he said.

Delays are nothing new for Qatar Airways, which also postponed the delivery of three of its A380 superjumbos this year after Al Baker reportedly expressed concerns about the quality of the interior.

Airbus chief Bregier described Al Baker as a "tough customer... you are demanding, sometimes for us a bit too demanding."

He said Qatar's exacting standards had raised the quality of the final product and would make it easier to sell to other carriers.

Bregier also used Monday's event to try to draw a line under recent reports that it might pull the plug on A380 production after a fall off in orders.

He said such speculation was "just crazy... after all the efforts we have made."

"I can tell you the A380 will have a brighter future as the market gets bigger."

The A350's road to flight

The A350 XWB is the first in a family of super-efficient passenger planes Airbus designed to go head-to-head with rival Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and 777s.

The project for the new jet began in 2006 and was initially criticized by some in the industry, including airlines, for not really advancing the global aviation scene.

Being publicly lambasted by some of its largest customers -- one aviation executive called it a Band-Aid reaction to the 787 Dreamliner, while the CEO of Singapore Airlines said the plane just didn't go far enough -- the pressure was on for Airbus to come up with a game changing plane.

Much of the aircraft we see today is the result of that pressure.

Made from advanced materials, 53% of the A350 XWB frame consists of carbon-fiber reinforced polymer, including Airbus' first carbon-fiber fuselage.

As a result, Airbus says the plane will burn 25% less fuel than existing similar size jets.

The A350 XWB is powered by two massive Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines, though those who have experienced its test flights say it's remarkable just how quiet the plane actually is.

Airbus says passengers will also get a higher quality of air (replaced on the aircraft every two to three minutes), wider cabins and 18-inch-wide seats in economy.

As of the end of November, Airbus has received 778 firm A350 orders from 41 airlines.

To meet this demand, Airbus says it's ramping up production progressively to reach the planned rate of 10 aircraft per month by 2018.

The 2014 list prices for the aircraft are: $260.9 million for the A350-800, $295.2 million for the A350-900 and $340.7 million for the A350-1000.

The A350 XWB features wrap-around cockpit windows.

How to spot an A350?

With the first of nearly 800 A350s set to hit the skies, plane spotters will be particularly keen to see the sporty new jet in flight.

So how will you know when you're looking at one?

Key distinguishing features include a streamlined nose and wrap-around cockpit windows.

Also, located just ahead of the windshield are the jetliner's nose-mounted pitot tubes, which measure speed, lateral drift and angle of attack during flight, says Airbus.

But perhaps the most noticeable feature is the plane's tapered wings, which Airbus says makes the plane faster, more efficient and quieter.

These include winglet-type devices -- "sharklets" -- that reduce aerodynamic drag.

MORE: Airbus A350XWB: On board the world's newest passenger jet

Pope attacks 'diseases' of Vatican

• Pope Francis addressed the Vatican bureaucracy -- or Curia -- on Monday


• He launched a blistering attack on the "illnesses" within its members


• Francis warned against "vainglory," superiority and loss of compassion


• He referred to the diseases of excessive planning and of "the terrorism of gossip"

(CNN) -- Pope Francis has unleashed a blistering critique of the Vatican bureaucracy -- or Curia -- criticizing its "illnesses" ranging from the "disease of feeling immortal" to vainglory and excessive planning.

In his annual Christmas address to the Curia at the Vatican Monday, the Pontiff warned that "a church that doesn't try to improve is like a sick body."

Francis said suggested that it would be helpful to the Vatican bureaucrats to have a catalog of their illnesses beginning with "this disease of feeling immortal or indispensable."

The "pathology of power," he said, could lead to people believing "they are superior to others and not here for the service to others."

Dear brothers let us be aware and guard against the terrorism of gossip.

Pope Francis

Francis warned against the disease of loss of compassion, which he said afflicted "those who have a heart of stone."

"Those who lose their inner serenity, their vivacity and audacity, to hide behind their papers, becoming like procedural machines rather than men of God. This is dangerous to lose human sensitivity, so necessary in order to cry with those who cry and enjoy with those who enjoy," the Pope said.

Pope Francis referred to the diseases of "excessive planning and functionalism" and of "bad coordination," which he said could occur when members did not collaborate with each other. There was also the risk of succumbing to spiritual Alzheimer's disease and "forgetting the story of salvation," he said, warning that sufferers "lost memory of their encounter with God."

The Pope described the diseases of rivalry and vainglory, and rebuked those who try to court their superiors "inspired by their own egotism."

The disease of gossip, Francis said, he had addressed before -- but insufficiently.

The Pope's role in the Cuba breakthrough

Pope: Dogs can go to heaven

Pope Francis pledges to fight slavery

"This is a serious disease that begins simply when people chatter, and it takes over the person, turning the person as a Satan, and in so many cases people are speaking ill about their own colleagues and brothers and sisters. These people haven't got the courage to speak directly, and they speak about others behind their backs," he said. "Dear brothers, let us be aware and guard against the terrorism of gossip."

Pope Francis also appeared to speak to the child abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church, referring to it as the "disease of a closeness."

"This disease also begins from good intentions, but with the passing of time enslaves its members, becoming a cancer which threatens the harmony of the body and causes a lot of evil and scandal, especially towards our small brothers and sisters," Francis said.

Finally, Francis warned against the disease of the mundane -- "of the exhibitionism when the apostle transforms his service in power."

"This is a disease of people who seek tirelessly to multiply power only aimed at calumny, and to defame and discredit others," he said.

Pope Francis concluded: "Dear brothers, such diseases and such temptations are a naturally a danger for each Christian and for each Curia. For each community, for any ecclesiastical movement. They can damage both individually and the community. We have to say that only the Holy Spirit and the soul of Christ, only he can protect us from the disease.

"We have to cure ourselves of these. Let us try to grow together and close to Christ."

In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour that aired earlier this month, veteran Vatican watcher Marco Politi said Pope Francis had been encountering growing opposition within his own church.

This was mainly due to Francis' efforts at reform since becoming Pope in March 2013, Politi said.

"Within the Church, there is a tough group of conservative bishops and priests and cardinals, and also very traditionalist bishops and cardinals who are practically against the Pope, who are working against the Pope," he said. "They don't like what he wanted to do with the synod about family, to give new possibilities to remarried and divorced people to get the communion, or to have a new look on the homosexual union."

Read: Bishops will be held accountable for not protecting youths

Read: Beginning of tough period for Francis