Your medical record is worth more to hackers than your credit card

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A man types on a computer keyboard in this illustration picture taken in Warsaw February 28, 2013. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

By Caroline Humer and Jim Finkle

NEW YORK/BOSTON (Reuters) - Your medical information is worth 10 times more than your credit card number on the black market.

Last month, the FBI warned healthcare providers to guard against cyber attacks after one of the largest U.S. hospital operators, Community Health Systems Inc, said Chinese hackers had broken into its computer network and stolen the personal information of 4.5 million patients.

Security experts say cyber criminals are increasingly targeting the $3 trillion U.S. healthcare industry, which has many companies still reliant on aging computer systems that do not use the latest security features.

"As attackers discover new methods to make money, the healthcare industry is becoming a much riper target because of the ability to sell large batches of personal data for profit," said Dave Kennedy, an expert on healthcare security and CEO of TrustedSEC LLC. "Hospitals have low security, so it's relatively easy for these hackers to get a large amount of personal data for medical fraud."

Interviews with nearly a dozen healthcare executives, cybersecurity investigators and fraud experts provide a detailed account of the underground market for stolen patient data.

The data for sale includes names, birth dates, policy numbers, diagnosis codes and billing information. Fraudsters use this data to create fake IDs to buy medical equipment or drugs that can be resold, or they combine a patient number with a false provider number and file made-up claims with insurers, according to experts who have investigated cyber attacks on healthcare organizations.

Medical identity theft is often not immediately identified by a patient or their provider, giving criminals years to milk such credentials. That makes medical data more valuable than credit cards, which tend to be quickly canceled by banks once fraud is detected.

Stolen health credentials can go for $10 each, about 10 or 20 times the value of a U.S. credit card number, according to Don Jackson, director of threat intelligence at PhishLabs, a cyber crime protection company. He obtained the data by monitoring underground exchanges where hackers sell the information.

   

ATTACKS ON THE RISE

The percentage of healthcare organizations that have reported a criminal cyber attack has risen to 40 percent in 2013 from 20 percent in 2009, according to an annual survey by the Ponemon Institute think tank on data protection policy.

Founder Larry Ponemon, who is privy to details of attacks on healthcare firms that have not been made public, said he has seen an increase this year in both the number of cyber attacks and number of records stolen in those breaches.     

Fueling that increase is a shift to electronic medical records by a majority of U.S. healthcare providers.

Marc Probst, chief information officer of Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, said his hospital system fends off thousands of attempts to penetrate its network each week. So far it is not aware of a successful attack.

"The only reason to buy that data is so they can fraudulently bill," Probst said.

Healthcare providers and insurers must publicly disclose data breaches affecting more than 500 people, but there are no laws requiring criminal prosecution. As a result, the total cost of cyber attacks on the healthcare system is difficult to pin down. Insurance industry experts say they are one of many expenses ultimately passed onto Americans as part of rising health insurance premiums.

Consumers sometimes discover their credentials have been stolen only after fraudsters use their personal medical ID to impersonate them and obtain health services. When the unpaid bills are sent on to debt collectors, they track down the fraud victims and seek payment.     

Ponemon cited a case last year in which one patient learned that his records at a major hospital chain were compromised after he started receiving bills related to a heart procedure he had not undergone. The man's credentials were also used to buy a mobility scooter and several pieces of medical equipment, racking up tens of thousands of dollars in total fraud.

MEDICARE FRAUD

The government's efforts to combat Medicare fraud have focused on traditional types of scams that involve provider billing and over billing. Fraud involving the Medicare program for seniors and the disabled totaled more than $6 billion in the last two years, according to a database maintained by Medical Identity Fraud Alliance.

"Healthcare providers and hospitals are just some of the easiest networks to break into," said Jeff Horne, vice president at cybersecurity firm Accuvant, which is majority-owned by private equity firm Blackstone Group.

"When I've looked at hospitals, and when I've talked to other people inside of a breach, they are using very old legacy systems - Windows systems that are 10 plus years old that have not seen a patch."

KPMG partner Michael Ebert said security has been an afterthought for many medical providers - whether it is building encryption into software used to create electronic patient records or in setting budgets.

"Are you going to put money into a brand new MRI machine or laser surgery or are you going to put money into a new firewall?" he said.

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6 dead in cartel-style killings in western Mexico

MORELIA, Mexico (AP) — The bound bodies of six men were found dumped on a street Friday in the western Mexico state of Michoacan, where authorities have claimed to be making headway against drug gang violence.

The bodies were found next to a hand-lettered sign in which a drug cartel claimed responsibility for the killings.

The Michoacan state prosecutors' office said in a statement that the bodies found in the city of Uruapan had bullet wounds. Photos showed the men's heads had been wrapped in what appeared to be packing tape, and their hands were bound behind their backs.

A sign left next to the bodies made an apparent reference to the New Generation drug cartel: "We are here now, and we are here to save you, Respectfully, the Michoacan New Generation Cartel."

New Generation is based in the neighboring state of Jalisco, and had been battling the Michoacan-based Knights Templar cartel.

The Knights Templar gang was partly expelled from Michoacan by an armed vigilante movement and the Jalisco gang appears to be trying to move in.

Prosecutors also reported finding the body of Aquiles Gomez, believed to be the brother of the Knights Templar's top remaining leader, Servando Gomez alias "La Tuta," or the Teacher.

The body was found with a bullet wound in the Pacific coast port city of Lazaro Cardenas.

Servando Gomez remains at large, and is believed to be hiding in the mountains of Michoacan

Following the vigilante uprising against the Knights Templar in early 2013, the federal government stepped up army and police presence in Michoacan and effectively deputized many of the vigilantes.

Despite those efforts, many Michoacan natives say the security situation in the state remains grim.

"It is hasn't improved; this has all been cosmetic," said writer and activist Homero Aridjis. "There has been a political strategy, of declaring this (the security crisis) is over by decree."

Aridjis said some parts of the largely agricultural state has come to resemble the wild west, with roving bands of thieves stealing horses and cattle from farm families.

"This is destroying the farm economy, which is vital," Aridjis said

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Utah doctor gets up to life in wife's murder

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PROVO, Utah (AP) — A Utah doctor convicted of murdering his wife in a case that became a true-crime cable TV obsession was sentenced Friday to 17 years to life in prison at a hearing in which his daughter called him a monster.

The long-awaited sentence came seven years after prosecutors say Martin MacNeill knocked out his wife with drugs prescribed following cosmetic surgery and left her to die in a bathtub so he could begin a new life with his mistress.

"My father's facade has now crumbled," said Alexis Somers, who asked the judge to give MacNeill the maximum penalty. "My father is a monster. He has never shown remorse for any of his crimes. He must be held accountable for his actions."

Judge Derek Pullan gave the 58-year-old MacNeill the harshest term possible: at least 15 years and up to life on the murder charge, plus one to 15 years on an obstruction-of-justice charge. A third sentence in a separate sexual abuse case adds another one to 15 years.

Pullan said the sentences must run one after the other, not at the same time. The Utah parole board will decide later whether MacNeill can be released after 17 years or must serve a longer term.

The one-time doctor and lawyer with a family of eight did not address the court during the sentencing. He appeared gaunt, with close-cropped gray hair and glasses.

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Martin MacNeill stands in the courtroom before his sentencing Friday, Sept. 19, 2014, in Provo, Utah …

Michele MacNeill initially was ruled to have died of natural causes, possibly heart disease, but her family hounded authorities until charges were filed five years after her death.

Her sister Linda Cluff said she imagines Michele MacNeill dying at her husband's hands and wonders whether she was afraid or cried for help.

"He thought nothing more of her than something to throw away and get rid of," said Cluff, who turned and faced Martin MacNeill during the hearing.

"I can look into his eyes and say, 'Martin, you haven't gotten away with this," she said.

The judge pointed to Martin MacNeill's careful planning, saying he'd orchestrated the killing so his 6-year-old daughter would find her mother dead.

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Martin MacNeill enters the courtroom before his sentencing Friday, Sept. 19, 2014, in Provo, Utah. M …

"Mr. MacNeill, as you deprived Michele MacNeill of her life, the state of Utah exacts from you today the liberty you might have enjoyed in your remaining years," Pullan said.

The case shocked the Mormon community of Pleasant Grove, about 35 miles south of Salt Lake City.

Martin MacNeill has maintained his innocence. His attorney Randy Spencer argued at trial that Michele MacNeill had a heart attack and fell into the tub, and has said an appeal is likely. Spencer did not take questions from reporters Friday.

Martin MacNeill was medical director of the Utah State Development Center, a residential center for people with cognitive disorders. He had a law degree but wasn't known to practice.

Prosecutors conceded the largely circumstantial case wasn't an easy one. Prosecutor Chad Grunander said the trail had gone cold by the time he came onto the case in 2010, and the judge excluded some evidence of the contention roiling under the family's picture-perfect exterior.

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Martin MacNeill is removed from the courtroom following his sentencing Friday, Sept. 19, 2014, in Pr …

"You have a doctor and lawyer, beautiful wife, beautiful children, well-educated, successful people, and this happens in the background," Grunander said. "It is shocking to some degree, certainly."

Last year's trial peeled back that facade with testimony from jailhouse snitches and Martin MacNeill's former mistress, Gypsy Willis.

Martin MacNeill hired her as a nanny within weeks of his wife's death. But his older daughters said they recognized the woman as his secret lover and the subject of arguments between their parents.

Prosecutors said Martin MacNeill insisted his 50-year-old wife get a face-lift and faked his own medical condition to throw off suspicion in the weeks before her death. They pointed to erratic behavior and what they called phony grief the day she died.

Another daughter, Rachel MacNeill, said Friday her father promised to destroy her and her sisters after their mother's death.

"True justice for my mother does not end with the conviction and sentencing of her murderer, but that's the way it begins," she said.

Prosecutors also introduced testimony from former cellmates of Martin MacNeill who said he confessed to his wife's death. Spencer said they lied and MacNeill should get a new trial, but the judge denied that motion late last month

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11 Revelations About Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's Wedding

People are still buzzing over the big unveiling of Angelina Jolie's unique wedding dress, which incorporated drawings by her six kids, but that was just one of the big highlights from her highly-anticipated wedding to Brad Pitt. The entire intimate event, held at their chateau in Correns, France, on Aug. 23, was personalized and very family friendly to include their mini "wedding planners" — Maddox, 13, Pax, 10, Zahara, 9, Shiloh, 8, and 6-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox — in the festivities.

Here are 11 things we've learned about the Brangelina nuptials…

 

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's wedding album appears in this week's People magazine. (People magazine)

1. It was super kid-friendly. The children weren't only represented on the dress, they all had jobs. "The children chose their roles and their clothes," Angelina, 39, told People magazine, which bought the domestic rights to the wedding appearing in their new issue. Maddox and Pax beamed as they escorted their mom down the aisle; flower girls Zahara and Vivienne joyfully scattered pink rose petals; and Shiloh and Knox were on ring bearer duty and — oops! — dropped one of the Richard Procop-designed wedding bands, causing their parents to crack up during the ceremony. The children even came up with the vows. "They asked us to make promises to each other," the bride said. "It was very sweet what they came up with." And baker Pax made the cake, which was a bit askew due to his liberal use of frosting.

2. There was no music. The guests — and the groom himself — "hummed 'Here Comes the Bride" as she walked down the aisle, Angelina revealed. When the ceremony concluded, the 20 guests again provided the tunes, humming Mendelssohn's "Wedding March."

[Related: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's Most Romantic Moments]

3. Brad didn't know about Angelina's kid-friendly dress. The Atelier Versace dress — which Donatella Versace said she designed, but Angelina credited to the label's master tailor Luigi Massi — was a secret to everyone. "Brad didn't see the dress until the moment of the wedding," she said, meaning the dozens of drawings (of the bride and groom, zebras, tanks, motorbikes, flowers, and the words "Buttock Fattock") made by their children and sewn in by Massi were a surprise. "I couldn't imagine anyone else making this dress," she added. "He knows and cares for the children and it was great fun putting it together."

4. The guest list included… We all know Jon Voight didn't go, so who were among the 20 guests? Brad's parents, Bill and Jane, and siblings, Doug and Julie, who have families of their own. Angelina's brother, James Haven, was there too — and so was designer Massi, jewelry maker Procop, and their wedding officiant, California judge John Ouderkirk.

[Related: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Wedding: Who Was There?]

Brad's parents, Jane and Bill, were two of the 20 guests invited to the intimate affair. (Getty Images)

5. There were several tributes to Angie's mom. Brad, 50, surprised his wife by having a dedication to Marcheline Bertrand, who died of ovarian cancer in 2007, engraved on a stone in the ancient chapel where the couple exchanged vows. Beyond that, the flower ring she wore about halfway down her index finger on her right hand belonged to her mother. And her brother "wore an angel pin from her jewelry box," Jolie said.

Wedding photos also appeared internationally in Hello! magazine. (Hello magazine)6. There were some unusual accessories. Brad Pitt forgot his tie and borrowed the one he wore from one of his sons. Shiloh and Knox, who were ring bearers, wore eccentric hats that they picked out. Shi, who sported a short suit, rocked a top hat, while Knox chose a retro captain's hat.

7. Angelina and Brad recycled. A couple pieces of the bride and groom's wedding attire were "something old." Angelina wore earrings from her jewelry collection while Brad's suit was from his closet.

[Related: Angelina Jolie Surfaces for First Time Since Marrying Brad Pitt]

8. They had a picnic reception. After exchanging vows in their chapel, the group walked over closer to the 35-room main house where they had an alfresco reception among the 1,200-acre property. BBQ was served — and so was the couple's award-winning Miraval rosé. The bride sipped Bosnian rose petal juice. For dessert, Pax's cake was served — along with several flavors of ice cream.

9. It was a no-gift event. Brad and Angelina did not give exchange wedding gifts — nor did they receive any from their guests. In fact, the charitable pair is donating the proceeds of their wedding photos (also run internationally by Hello! magazine), which were distributed by Getty Images, to their Jolie-Pitt Foundation to aid humanitarian causes.

10. The bride's favorite part of the day was… It wasn't saying "I do" or kissing her groom. Angelina said it was, "Seeing how excited the kids were."

 

 

The picnic-like reception took place near the 35-room main house on the couple's 1,200-acre French estate. (Splash …

11. Even the actress is amused by her honeymoon plans. Days after their nuptials, Angelina headed to Malta where she will soon be directing and starring in By the Sea with her new husband. "We are working together on a drama about grief and finding a way through a difficult marriage," she told People. And, yes, they "find it very funny that it's our honeymoon."

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Deadly barrel bombs 'hit taxi stand' in Syria's Aleppo

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  AFP/Baraa al-Halabi - A man carries a young girl who was injured in a reported barrel-bomb attack by government forces on June 3, 2014 in Kallaseh district in the northern city of Aleppo

Syrian helicopters dropped barrel bombs on a taxi stand in the city of Aleppo Friday, killing at least 12 civilians, including a child, a monitoring group said.

"Twelve civilians, among them a child, were killed, and five others seriously wounded after helicopters launched two explosive-laden barrels against the Haidariyeh district," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

An AFP journalist at the scene saw at least a dozen bloodied corpses lying on the ground. One, wrapped in a shroud, was apparently that of a child.

The journalist also saw several people on stretchers, showing burns and shrapnel wounds, and others lying in pools of blood near sandbags. It was not clear whether they were dead.

Haidariyeh is home to a popular taxi stand, and the AFP journalist said he saw numerous destroyed cars.

There was also a massive crater in the street left by one of the bombs.

One resident said: "I saw the bodies. They were workers, people who were simply trying to find a way to put bread on the table... You can see the human remains."

A man who had volunteered to help rescue survivors said "taxi drivers gather here to transport workers and goods... There were no rebels here."

Last December, President Bashar al-Assad's regime launched a massive aerial campaign against rebel districts in the east of Syria's second city, despite a UN Security Council resolution condemning such strikes.

In July, Human Rights Watch condemned the air force campaign, saying it had killed 1,700 people in five months.

Barrel bombs are typically constructed from large oil drums, gas cylinders or water tanks, filled with high explosives and scrap metal to enhance fragmentation.

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Young Saudi’s supreme sacrifice ends in sorrow

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  Saudi Gazette - 1

A young man has set a great example of sacrifice here when he stormed a burning room and risked his life to save his parents, who were trapped inside by a ring of fire and smoke, Al-Sharq daily reported.

Turki Al-Duwaikh, 25, who remains in critical condition at the hospital after suffering burns to 80 percent of his body during his daring rescue attempt, was on the second floor of his home when a short circuit sparked a fire on the first floor where his parents were sitting.

Seeing heavy smoke billowing from the first floor, he ran downstairs to find the fire had engulfed the entire floor.

He then, unhesitatingly, stormed into the room where his parents were and attempted to save them. His parents later died from their wounds a few days after the incident, while Turki was rushed to King Khalid Hospital here.

Later, he was airlifted to the National Guard Hospital's Intensive Care Unit in Riyadh for better treatment and he is still in critical condition.

Sultan, Turki's brother, said Turki's condition is still critical because of the burns that cover his body.

"My brother threw himself into the burning flames to pull my parents out and rescue them. By the time we helped him and our parents, they had already sustained severe burns, especially Turki," Sultan said.

"We're proud of Turki's sacrifice and so are all the residents of Hafr Al-Batin. He's our hero. I hope everyone prays for him and wishes him a speedy recovery," Sultan said.

Turki's father was one of the notable figures in the governorate and he was known for his hard work and honesty. Turki was the only family member other than his parents who was injured severely while others sustained minor injuries.

On his Twitter account and under his name, Turki wrote the phrase "Close to my parents".

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Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie Were Paid $5M For Wedding Photos And They Gave It ALL To Charity

Doesn't she look BEAUTIFUL?? Copyright: [People] 

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stunned the world when it emerged that they had sold their wedding photos to two glossy magazines.

Us mere mortals simply assumed that we would never, ever have an insight into the Jolie-Pitt secret wedding, after all the couple are notoriously private and there were only twenty guests at the actual ceremony for pete's sake!

However, they appeared to pull a confusing Katie Price move and have a press photographer join them on their special day in exchange for a hefty pay check of FIVE. MILLION. DOLLARS.

Angelina Jolie with five of her six children. Copyright: [Splash!] 

Needless to say we loved it; we got all of the need-to-know deets, had a glimpse at Angelina's unique wedding dress, and also got an insight into their family life with photos of the couple's six children also being included in the mags. 

Although we couldn't help but wonder what two of the biggest superstars in the world are doing selling their intimate wedding photos in exchange for money that probably means nothing to them?

Why, donating it all to charity of course.

(By the way - we totally called it.)

Brad Pitt showing off his new wedding ring. Copyright [Rex]

Yep, it has been reported that Brad and Ange used the opportunity of their wedding to raise some serious cash for good causes.

A source told RadarOnline: "Each (publication) paid $2.5 million for a selection of wedding pictures from Brad and Angelina's wedding.

"Hello! has the international rights to the pictures. Before the wedding, Brad and Angie personally chose a photographer they had worked with from Getty Images for the wedding.

"Brad and Angelina knew there would be tremendous interest in their wedding pictures, and decided to donate the money to their charitable foundation. The couple have done this numerous times in the past."

The couple with their eldest son, Maddox.

And that they have - the pair previously sold the first photographs of their 6-year-old twins for $14million back in 2008, and donated every penny of that too.

Their charity of choice is the couple's Maddox Jolie Pitt Foundation, which supports humanitarian projects around the world.

It was formed in 2003 when Angelina adopted her oldest son, Maddox, from Cambodia.

They really are just the perfect couple, aren't they?

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What 13 successful people do before going to bed

Morning routines are important — but bedtime rituals can have a serious impact on your success. 

That’s because the very last thing you do before bed affects your mood and energy level the following day, since it often determines how well and how much you sleep.

Knowing that, we decided to find out how the most successful spend their nights before surrendering to sleep.

Turns out some — like President Obama and writer Michael Lewis — are night owls, preferring to work while the rest of the world sleeps; while others —like Arianna Huffington and Sheryl Sandberg — know how important sleep is, and force themselves to cool down.

President Barack Obama is a "night owl" and likes to work late.

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Unlike Obama's predecessor George W. Bush, who prefers to rise in the early hours, the current president stays up late, reports Carrie Budoff Brown at Politco. He is said to hold conference calls with senior staff as late as 11 p.m. and reads or writes before heading to bed.

In a 2011 interview with Newsweek, Obama calls himself a "night owl" and describes his typical evening:

"Have dinner with the family, hang out with the kids, and put them to bed about 8:30 p.m. And then I'll probably read briefing papers or do paperwork or write stuff until about 11:30 p.m., and then I usually have about a half hour to read before I go to bed ... about midnight, 12:30 a.m. — sometimes a little later."

Obama has also said that if he's home late at night, he'll try to catch "The Daily Show." "I think Jon Stewart's brilliant," Obama tells Rolling Stone.

Inventor Benjamin Franklin asked himself the same self-improvement question every night.

AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

In his autobiography, Franklin outlined a schedule that would lead him to "moral perfection." In this ideal schedule, Franklin asked himself the same self-improvement question every night: "What good have I done today?"

He described his other rituals before bed as "put things in their places, supper, music or diversion or conversation, and examination of the day."

Franklin tracked his progress on self-improvement daily.

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg turns off her phone at night.

REUTERS/Rick Wilking

Sandberg might work for a tech company, but she knows when to unplug.

Sandberg tells Jefferson Graham at USAToday that it's "painful," but she turns her phone off at night so that she "won't get woken up."

"I check my e-mail the first thing in the morning, and the last thing at night," says Sandberg.

Winston Churchill had an evening ritual that included a short nap, bath, and drinks well past midnight.

Getty Images

The British prime minister kept to a similar daily routine no matter what happened. In the book "Daily Rituals: How Artists Work," author Mason Currey recorded Churchill's schedule:

Around 5 p.m., the prime minister would drink a weak whisky and soda before taking a nap for an hour and a half. Churchill said this siesta, or short nap, allowed him to work for 1.5 days every 24 hours. When he woke, he bathed and got ready for dinner.

At 8 p.m., Churchill would eat dinner, which was often followed by drinks and cigars well past midnight.

Due to his irregular sleep schedule, Churchill was said to hold War Cabinet meetings in his bath.

Stephen King's nightly routine includes washing his hands and making sure all the pillows face a certain way.

AP Photo/CBS, Brownie Harris

"It’s not any different than a bedtime routine," says King as recorded in Lisa Rogak's book "Haunted Heart: The Life and Times of Stephen King."

"I brush my teeth, I wash my hands. Why would anybody wash their hands before they go to bed? I don’t know. And the pillows are supposed to be pointed a certain way. The open side of the pillowcase is supposed to be pointed in toward the other side of the bed. I don’t know why."

Arianna Huffington only reads "real books" before bed.

D Dipasupil/Getty Images

Sleep advocate Huffington recommends banning iPads, Kindles, laptops, and any other electronics from the bedroom to unwind.

Instead, she likes to read the old-fashioned way, "real books."

Michael Lewis prefers to write between the hours of 7 p.m. and 4 a.m.

REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Author Robert Boynton asked Lewis about his ideal writing routine, as recorded in the book "The New New Journalism":

"Left to my own devices, with no family, I'd start writing at 7 p.m. and stop at 4 a.m.," says Lewis. "That is the way I used to write. I liked to get ahead of everybody. I'd think to myself, 'I'm starting tomorrow's workday, tonight!' Late nights are wonderfully tranquil. No phone calls, no interruptions. I like the feeling of knowing that nobody is trying to reach me."

Former Googler Keval Desai works at night, so he can concentrate.

AdAge via YouTube

Desai, a former Google product director and current partner at InterWest Partners, says that staying up is a habit of his. Desai tells Lydia Dishman at Fast Company that he likes to pick one project per night and doesn't go to bed until the project is done.

"During the day most of my time is spent in meetings with entrepreneurs, and the only time I can find alone to do work that requires some concentration is when the rest of the household is asleep," he says.

Kate White, former Cosmo editor-in-chief, likes to write while standing up in the kitchen.

Getty Images/Jemal Countess

As a magazine editor, White preferred to work on her fiction writing in the early morning hours and switch to magazine editing and blogging at night.

"My craziest trick is that I regularly do my work standing up at a rolling butcher block counter in my kitchen. If I were to work sitting down, I’d fall asleep," White told Dishman at Fast Company. "I know it sounds awful, but I think of it as if I’m tending bar in the evening — a bar of ideas. And I always keep the kitchen TV on so it doesn’t seem too lonely. I drink several espressos at night, which really helps."

Bill Gates reads for an hour before bed, no matter what time he gets home.

REUTERS/Rick Wilking

The Microsoft billionaire told the Seattle Times: "I read an hour almost every night. It's part of falling asleep."

He enjoys "deeply informative and beautifully written" books (in June he released a list of six books he recommends) and his reading topics range from healthcare to climate change to business and politics.

Gates says he considers himself a very fast reader, despite never taking a speed-reading course.

Vera Wang uses this "peaceful" time to look over materials her staffers send her.

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

"My bedroom is my sanctuary," the fashion designer told Fortune in 2006. "It's like a refuge, and it's where I do a fair amount of designing — at least conceptually if not literally."

She said staffers send her stuff at home, "and I always read it at night — the only time when seven people aren't coming to me at once," Fortune reported.

Buffer CEO Joel Gascoigne walks every evening right before bed.

Buffer

Gascoigne takes a 20-minute walk every evening to allow total disengagement from his work before turning off the lights.

"This is a wind down period, and allows me to evaluate the day’s work, think about the greater challenges, gradually stop thinking about work, and reach a state of tiredness," he writes in a blog post.

Kenneth Chenault, CEO of American Express, writes down three things he wants to accomplish the next day.

Brian Ach /AP Images for American Express

Before retiring for the night, Chenault says he likes to write down the top three things he wants to accomplish the next day. This helps him prioritize first thing the next mornin

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Saudi death sentence for militant who kidnapped, killed US man

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  AFP/Hassan Ammar - Saudi police arrest eight people in the northwest suspected of recruiting young people to join the Islamic State jihadist group in Iraq and Syria, the interior ministry say

A court in Riyadh has sentenced an Al-Qaeda member to death for the 2004 kidnap and murder of US citizen Paul Marshall, local media reported on Tuesday.

The court specialising in terror cases also imposed jail terms of four to 30 years on 13 co-defendants, including two Syrians who were members of the same Al-Qaeda cell, in a verdict announced on Monday evening.

Johnson was kidnapped by Al-Qaeda in Riyadh in 2004, held hostage and beaten to death, then beheaded by his kidnappers who posted a video of his execution on the Internet, Ashaq Al-Awsat reported, citing the indictment.

The 14 defendants belonged to a 50-member Al-Qaeda cell that is alleged to have murdered the American, been involved in an attack on Riyadh police headquarters and to have planned strikes on the US and British embassies in the Saudi capital, official SPA news agency reported.

They were also convicted of smuggling in heavy weapons from Iraq, launching armed attacks on police, belonging to Al-Qaeda and showing disrespect to Saudi rulers, the news agency said.

The court is expected to give a verdict in the next few days on the other members of the cell.

Saudi courts began in June 2011 to pass sentence on hundreds of people accused of involvement in bloody Al-Qaeda attacks across the Gulf kingdom from 2003 to 2006.

The government launched a relentless crackdown on the extremist network, including a campaign of arrests, to wipe out the local Al-Qaeda branch.

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Saudi religious police beat up Briton

Members of Saudi Arabia's religious police roughed up a British resident of Riyadh after they caught him paying at a women-only cash desk, local media reported on Monday.

Saudi Arabia imposes a strict interpretation of Islamic laws, notably a segregation of the sexes.

A short video posted on YouTube on Sunday shows a member of the religious police jump out of his car and attack the Briton, who was accompanied by a woman in a black abaya cloak who defended him.

"That's my wife, how dare you!" the Briton is heard shouting in the video.

A short video posted on YouTube on Sunday shows a member of the religious police jump out of his car and attack …Al-Hayat newspaper, quoting witnesses, said the religious police had stopped the man in a supermarket after he had paid a female cashier.

The Briton replied that he was accompanied by his wife.

Only women are allowed to pay at females-only cash desks in the kingdom. A man accompanied by female family members can stop at such desks so long as a woman deals with the cashier.

After he left the supermarket, religious police agents filmed his car, and he responded by doing the same, Al-Hayat said.

A heated exchange followed as he refused to hand over his camera to the agents, who "attacked and pushed him to the ground," according to witnesses cited by the daily.

That's my wife, how dare you! the Briton is heard shouting in the video.

The Briton, a convert to Islam, is a longtime resident of the kingdom and married to a Saudi woman, according to Al-Hayat, which said he was finally driven away in a British embassy car.

The religious police, named the Commission of the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice and known unofficially as Mutawaa, have opened an investigation, Al-Hayat said.

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