H&R Block 2Q loss narrows as revenue rises

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — H&R Block's fiscal second-quarter loss narrowed, helped by cost-cutting efforts. Revenue climbed mostly because of a strong tax season in Australia.
The nation's largest tax preparation company typically turns in a loss in the August-to-October period because it takes in most of its revenue during the U.S. tax season. H&R Block's quarterly performance beat analysts' estimates and its stock hit the highest level in more than two years.
The company is optimistic and gearing up for its busy season.
"The U.S. tax season is right around the corner and we believe we're on pace to deliver significant earnings and margin expansion in fiscal 2013," President and CEO Bill Cobb said in a statement on Thursday.
For the three months ended Oct. 31, H&R Block Inc. lost $105.2 million, or 39 cents per share. A year earlier it lost $141.7 million, or 47 cents per share, for the quarter.
Its loss from continuing operations was 37 cents per share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected a bigger loss of 41 cents per share.
Selling, general and administrative expenses declined and the quarter was free of any impairment charges. The prior-year period included a $4.3 million impairment charge.
Revenue rose 6 percent to $137.3 million from $129.2 million. This topped Wall Street's forecast of $129.6 million.
Shares of H&R Block gained 89 cents, or 5.1 percent, to close at $18.26. Earlier in the session the stock reached $18.40, its highest point since May 2010.
Tax services revenue increased 7 percent primarily due to the strong Australian tax season. Corporate revenue fell because of lower interest income from H&R Block Bank's shrinking mortgage loan portfolio.
H&R Block disclosed in October that it hired Goldman Sachs to help it explore options for its banking arm, H&R Block Bank. Those options, Block said, could result in the company no longer being regulated as a savings and loan holding company by the Federal Reserve.
The Federal Reserve announced some proposed rules in June that would impose higher capital requirements on savings and loan holding companies. H&R Block contends that if the proposed rules are enacted it would have to hold on to significant additional capital.
H&R Block, based in Kansas City, Mo., prepared 25.6 million tax returns worldwide in fiscal 2012.

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SALEM, Ore

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. tax collector warned on Thursday of a delayed start to 2013's tax season if Congress fails to reset the alternative minimum tax (AMT) on high-income taxpayers so that it does not sweep in millions of middle-income people.
Without another adjustment by lawmakers soon to the AMT, "many of us will see a delayed filing season," said Steven Miller, named just last month as Internal Revenue Service acting commissioner.
Miller did not give an exact date by which Congress must approve an AMT "patch" to prevent a delay to the tax season, which is scheduled to begin on January 22.
"We don't have any drop-dead time in mind," Miller told reporters after a speech at a conference in Washington.
But his remarks came on a day of continued stalemate in Washington between Democrats and Republicans over what to do about the "fiscal cliff" approaching at the end of the year.
The AMT is a crucial part of the assorted tax increases and automatic spending cuts that make up the so-called "cliff," a convergence of events that, absent congressional action, threatens to plunge the U.S. economy back into recession.
"Many people don't realize that they could potentially face a significantly delayed filing season and a much bigger tax bill for 2012," if the AMT is not dealt with, Miller said.
"In programming our systems, the IRS has assumed that Congress will patch the AMT as Congress has for so many years.
"And I remain optimistic that the fiscal cliff debate will be resolved by the end of the year. If that turns out not to be the case, then what is clear is that many of us will see a delayed filing season," Miller said.
The AMT is a tax intended to make sure that at least some tax is paid by high-income people who otherwise could sharply reduce or eliminate their regular income tax bills through using tax loopholes. About 4 million people annually pay the AMT.
Unlike the regular income tax, the AMT is not indexed for inflation. So the thresholds that determine who must pay the tax have to be regularly raised. This prevents the AMT from hitting middle-class people whose incomes may have crept upward on the back of inflation, but who are not wealthy.
Congress last patched the AMT in late 2010. Without another patch, the AMT could hit as many as 33 million people for the 2012 tax year, according to the IRS.
Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York said on Thursday he is "hopeful" that the AMT problem will be fixed with a broader "fiscal cliff" resolution before December 31.
Republicans in Congress may see the AMT as leverage in their "fiscal cliff" negotiations with President Barack Obama and the Democrats.
The IRS might have until mid-January to implement an AMT patch and still start the tax season on time, if Congress approves the fix as expected, said Richard Harvey, a tax professor at Villanova University and a former IRS official.
The AMT "is a ticking time bomb that is going to go off some time in January," Harvey said.

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Oregon governor says Nike plans to hire thousands

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Sporting goods giant Nike plans to expand its operations in Oregon and hire as many as 12,000 new workers by 2020 but wants the government to promise it won't change the state tax code, prompting a special session of the Legislature.
Gov. John Kitzhaber said he'll call lawmakers together Friday in Salem to create a new law authorizing him to grant Nike's wish.
The governor did not release information about the company's expansion plans but the $440 million project would create 2,900 construction jobs with an annual economic impact of $2 billion a year.
Nike Inc. has its headquarters in Beaverton. Company officials could not immediately be reached.
The Legislature is due to meet in its regular annual session beginning Jan. 14, but Kitzhaber said Nike needed certainty sooner. The company was being wooed by other states, he said.
"Getting Oregonians back to work is my top priority," Kitzhaber said in a news conference.
Either the governor or the Legislature itself can call lawmakers into session at times other than the state Constitution specifies.
For much of the state's history, the Legislature's regular sessions have been held every other year, at the beginning of odd-numbered years. That's the kind of session the Legislature is scheduled to begin early next year.
In recent years, the Legislature has moved to meet annually, running test sessions of briefer sessions in even-numbered years. Those led to voter approval of a constitutional amendment in 2010 that called for annual sessions.
Records list 38 special sessions since Oregon's statehood, ranging from one day on eight occasions to 37 days in 1982.

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Durant scores 41 as streaking Thunder top Hawks

ATLANTA (AP) — Oklahoma City's biggest stars displayed a unique version of balanced scoring against Atlanta: Russell Westbrook led the Thunder in the first half and Kevin Durant dominated the Hawks over the final two quarters.
Durant set a season high with 41 points and Oklahoma City held off Atlanta 100-92 on Wednesday night for its 12th straight win.
Westbrook had 27 points — 21 in the first half — and 11 assists. Durant scored 28 points in the second half, including 18 in the fourth, and also had 13 rebounds.
No other Oklahoma City player scored in double figures.
"There's going to be nights where one has the hot hand and there's going to be other nights the other does," said Thunder coach Scott Brooks.
Both top scorers were hot against the Hawks. Durant made six of nine shots in the final period, including three 3-pointers, and the Hawks couldn't find a way to slow the 6-foot-9 forward.
"We double-teamed him, we zoned him," said Hawks coach Larry Drew. "He still made shots. You can't stop him when he's hot like that."
Durant said Westbrook's strong first half helped open more opportunities for him after the break.
"He was aggressive and they were giving him jump shots," Durant said. "We just played off of that. He was very good and it opened up for me in the second half."
Durant acknowledged he launched some "questionable" shots. "But my teammates wanted me to do it," he said.
Jeff Teague led Atlanta with 19 points, Josh Smith had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Al Horford and Lou Williams scored 13 apiece.
Durant was especially strong after Atlanta cut a 16-point deficit midway through the third quarter to 73-69.
Durant slowed Atlanta's comeback attempt when he dominated a sequence on both ends of the floor, blocking a shot by Smith before throwing down a jam. Smith drew a foul and Durant sank the free throw to push the lead to 85-75.
With about 3 minutes remaining, Durant hit a fallaway jumper. Less than a minute late, he made a spin move and then sank a 3-pointer over the 6-foot-7 Kyle Korver, who was left shaking his head.
"He's just one of those players," Korver said. "People don't understand how tall he is and how long his arms are."
The fallaway jumper and spinning 3-pointer would have been unlikely attempts for most players.
"That's him, though," Horford said. "He can do it. He's that good of a player, unfortunately for us."
Oklahoma City (21-4) improved the NBA's best record and atoned for a 104-95 home loss to the Hawks on Nov. 4. That loss left Oklahoma City 1-2; it is 20-2 since then and hasn't lost since Nov. 23 at Boston.
The 12 straight wins matches the longest streak for the franchise since 1996, when it had a 14-game winning streak as the Seattle SuperSonics.
The Hawks took their last lead at 19-17 on a follow shot by Anthony Morrow. The Thunder then went ahead with a 10-1 run that overlapped the end of the first period and the start of the second. Martin opened and closed the run with jumpers.
Oklahoma City stretched the lead to 17 on four straight free throws by Durant following fouls by Morrow late in the half.
"You can't have a second quarter like we did," Horford said. "We had a lapse and they took a big lead. You can't do that against a team like them."
The Thunder led 68-52 midway through the third quarter, but a technical foul against Smith with 3:12 remaining in the period seemed to spark the Hawks.
Smith sank a 3-pointer as part of Atlanta's 8-0 run to close the period. Anthony Tolliver scored the first three points of the fourth quarter on a free throw and jam to cut the Thunder's lead to 73-69.
Westbrook ended Atlanta's 11-0 run with a jam following an offensive rebound by Nick Collison.
Serge Ibaka had 4 points and 14 rebounds for the Thunder.
NOTES: The Thunder assigned F Perry Jones and G DeAndre Liggins to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League. Jones, the first-round pick from Baylor, has appeared in 10 games, averaging 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds. ... The Hawks were without G Devin Harris, who left Tuesday night's game at Washington after injuring his left foot. He wore a walking boot on Wednesday. ... Morrow returned after missing two games with a sore back. ... Brian McCann, Jason Heyward, Dan Uggla, Kris Medlen and Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves attended the game and sat with former teammate Tommy Hanson, who was recently traded to the Angels.

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NBA-James and Bosh feel Heat have plenty of room to improve

MIAMI, Dec 20 (Reuters) - LeBron James and Chris Bosh feel the defending champion Miami Heat have work to do if they are to reach peak form in time for the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs, but both embrace the challenge.
The Heat (16-6) trail only the New York Knicks (19-6) in the Eastern Conference just past the quarter-mark of the NBA's regular season but Bosh is well aware his team is not playing at the same level compared to this point last season.
"No, not right now. We have to pick it up a little bit to catch ourselves from last year," Bosh, Miami's third-leading scorer and top shot-blocker, told Reuters.
"It's a new year, we just have to slowly build and get back to that place. As long as we continue to win games now and then we are primed and ready come playoff time, I'll be happy."
Of Miami's six losses in the 2012-13 season, two have come at the hands of a Knicks team that made some key offseason moves with the hopes of denying the Heat a trip to the NBA Finals.
For Miami, a key issue that needs attention is defense, particularly rebounding. The component of the game was in clear evidence during Tuesday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, where the Heat were outrebounded 52-24.
"There are some improvements, we do have to get better at a lot of things - defense, defensive rebounding, three point field goal percentage, we have to do a better job," said Bosh.
The 6-foot 10-inch Bosh, who switched from power-forward to center this season, says having areas to improve on keeps the team from getting complacent throughout the NBA's long, 82-game regular season.
"I'm glad that we have things to work on because, especially coming off a championship win, you don't want to be 'oh, we are a perfect team, it's perfect everything is great,'" said Bosh.
"You want to have something to work on, you don't ever want to get comfortable, you want to feel like someone is chasing you."
'CHALLENGING MYSELF'
Bosh says he applies a "one more for the championship" motivational approach in training and James, the NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player, has certainly taken that notion to heart.
James, who has been pushing himself physically this season by adding extra workouts and cycling to games and shootouts, agrees the Heat have lots of room for improvement.
"Everything, defensively continue to grind, continue to communicate, continue to rebound, offensively don't turn the ball over, be efficient looking for shots," he said.
"Right now we are getting better, we are going to use each and every game, we aren't going to cut any corners to get better, right now.
"We are not where we want to be in April for sure, but that's OK. We don't want to be peaking now, the thing for us is we don't want to be taking steps back".
There are certainly no signs of James going backwards or even easing off - he has scored at least 20 points in every game this season and as well as his cycling, has taken to the gym after defeats, such as this month's home loss to the Knicks.
"I'm just challenging myself. I feel that if I can be in the best condition I can be in that it is going to help the team automatically," said James. "I feel like if I am in the best shape and keeping my game under wraps, then we are going to be a better team."
The Heat visit the Dallas Mavericks later on Thursday and face biggest test of their form yet on Christmas Day when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder in a rematch of last season's final. The Thunder (21-4) own the NBA's best record and are riding a 12-game winning streak.

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James and Bosh feel Heat have plenty of room to improve

MIAMI (Reuters) - LeBron James and Chris Bosh feel the defending champion Miami Heat have work to do if they are to reach peak form in time for the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs, but both embrace the challenge.
The Heat (16-6) trail only the New York Knicks (19-6) in the Eastern Conference just past the quarter-mark of the NBA's regular season but Bosh is well aware his team is not playing at the same level compared to this point last season.
"No, not right now. We have to pick it up a little bit to catch ourselves from last year," Bosh, Miami's third-leading scorer and top shot-blocker, told Reuters.
"It's a new year, we just have to slowly build and get back to that place. As long as we continue to win games now and then we are primed and ready come playoff time, I'll be happy."
Of Miami's six losses in the 2012-13 season, two have come at the hands of a Knicks team that made some key offseason moves with the hopes of denying the Heat a trip to the NBA Finals.
For Miami, a key issue that needs attention is defense, particularly rebounding. The component of the game was in clear evidence during Tuesday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, where the Heat were outrebounded 52-24.
"There are some improvements, we do have to get better at a lot of things - defense, defensive rebounding, three point field goal percentage, we have to do a better job," said Bosh.
The 6-foot 10-inch Bosh, who switched from power-forward to center this season, says having areas to improve on keeps the team from getting complacent throughout the NBA's long, 82-game regular season.
"I'm glad that we have things to work on because, especially coming off a championship win, you don't want to be 'oh, we are a perfect team, it's perfect everything is great,'" said Bosh.
"You want to have something to work on, you don't ever want to get comfortable, you want to feel like someone is chasing you."
'CHALLENGING MYSELF'
Bosh says he applies a "one more for the championship" motivational approach in training and James, the NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player, has certainly taken that notion to heart.
James, who has been pushing himself physically this season by adding extra workouts and cycling to games and shootouts, agrees the Heat have lots of room for improvement.
"Everything, defensively continue to grind, continue to communicate, continue to rebound, offensively don't turn the ball over, be efficient looking for shots," he said.
"Right now we are getting better, we are going to use each and every game, we aren't going to cut any corners to get better, right now.
"We are not where we want to be in April for sure, but that's OK. We don't want to be peaking now, the thing for us is we don't want to be taking steps back".
There are certainly no signs of James going backwards or even easing off - he has scored at least 20 points in every game this season and as well as his cycling, has taken to the gym after defeats, such as this month's home loss to the Knicks.
"I'm just challenging myself. I feel that if I can be in the best condition I can be in that it is going to help the team automatically," said James. "I feel like if I am in the best shape and keeping my game under wraps, then we are going to be a better team."
The Heat visit the Dallas Mavericks later on Thursday and face biggest test of their form yet on Christmas Day when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder in a rematch of last season's final. The Thunder (21-4) own the NBA's best record and are riding a 12-game winning streak.

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Top prospect Parker chooses Duke

CHICAGO (AP) — Jabari Parker still had just about everyone guessing. Then, he pulled out that blue T-shirt with a white "D," and, finally, it became clear.
The prized prospect from Chicago's Simeon Career Academy, one of the most highly touted recruits in years, is headed to Duke to play for Mike Krzyzewski. Parker made the announcement in front of a national TV audience Thursday, in his high school gym, surely delighting Blue Devils fans.
A 6-foot-8 forward with the ability to nail jumpers from just about any spot when he's not throwing down vicious dunks, Parker can't sign his letter of intent until April 17. But he made his intentions clear with one highly anticipated oral commitment.
Michigan State, Florida, Stanford and Brigham Young also made his top five and caps from each school lined a table next to the podium. But he said it really came down to three schools, with the Gators and Spartans right there with the Blue Devils.
In the end, he chose to play for Krzyzewski for at least a year before making what many believe will ultimately be a jump to the NBA.
"Duke is always going to be a team in the tournament," he said. "You can't go wrong at the program and most importantly, the long-term investment. I feel like if I go there, I can get a good degree. I can also stay close to home where it's easily accessible to my parents, my family. It's not too far away. Coach K, that's one of the best coaches ever, and I wanted to be able to experience the things that he has next year."
Parker said he might play two or three seasons in college. Either way, he vowed to get a degree. He also said he didn't decide on a school until about 1 p.m. Central, and he apparently kept his parents in the dark until just before he made his announcement.
His mom Lola said Jabari whispered his decision to her and her husband, Sonny, as they were walking into the gym. A few minutes later, he pulled out that Duke T-shirt, drawing a standing ovation from the crowd packing the bleachers behind the podium.
Parker committed to join a program next season will lose two key frontcourt players — seniors Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly — from a team that earlier this week rose to No. 1 for the first time since February 2011.
Parker figures to fit right in on a talented group of players that will include Quinn Cook, who's expected to be in his second year as the starting point guard, and returns pure shooter Andre Dawkins, who's expected back after redshirting this season.
Turning down the other programs, particularly Michigan State, wasn't easy, particularly after coach Tom Izzo's final pitch Wednesday.
Simeon coach Robert Smith was so impressed he said, "If he was recruiting me yesterday, I would have committed."
Parker didn't. He saw a potential for controversy with him and the Spartans' Branden Dawson playing the same position. Instead, he's headed to Duke even though he said that was his "worst" on-campus visit.
"I didn't do what I wanted to do — that's be a kid," he said. "But I know being at college, it's all business. That's what they wanted to do, to show me. I know I didn't have a good time, but they just wanted to tell me, prepare for me and give me a little bit of a taste of how it's going to be in college."
Lola Parker said she was more interested in Krzyzewski the person than the Krzyzewski the coaching icon. She mentioned his character, his discipline and his final home visit on Tuesday.
"The first time Coach K came in, he stood up and showed Jabari where his foot should be on an offensive or a defensive play," she said. "He showed Jabari where his arms should be. This guy doesn't sit down. We kind of laughed about it, and it was the same thing Tuesday. I moved my coffee table to the side to make sure he had room right there to get up."
Given Jabari Parker's skills, it's easy to see why just about every major program was interested in him.
Parker just might be the greatest prospect to come out of Simeon, and that's saying something considering Derrick Rose played there. All he did was go on to become the MVP with the hometown Bulls.
As for Parker, his credentials to this point sure are impressive.
He received the Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year award after leading Simeon to its third straight state championship while averaging 19.5 points and 8.9 rebounds as a junior.
His father played six seasons with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA after starring at Chicago's Farragut Career Academy.
"He has a gift and he has what's called 'It'," Sonny Parker said.
Religion also plays a big role in Jabari's life. He is a devout Mormon, just like his mom, and he has talked about going on a mission. He's not sure if he will do that, but he did make one thing clear:
He plans to get his degree.
Now that he's made his college choice and assuming he doesn't have a change of heart, Jabari can focus on leading Simeon to another state title and getting his conditioning back after being slowed by a broken right foot.
The injury over the summer caused him to push back some recruiting trips and delay his decision rather than commit during the early signing period last month. He's also missed a game this week because he's trying to work his way back from the injury, an obstacle for a player rarely stopped on the court, but this moment was years in the making.
Lola Parker recalled in an interview at the family's house earlier this year that she could see it when Jabari, the youngest of seven children, was in the second grade going against the fourth and fifth-graders in a league run by Sonny, who established a foundation to help inner-city youth in Chicago after he retired.
Scholarship offers started rolling in when Jabari was in the sixth grade, and now, it's not uncommon for him to get mobbed by fans at games, even though they're often not from Simeon.
Usually, he'll accommodate them, but sometimes, he needs an escape.
He finds one in religion. That means rising several days a week at 5 a.m. for Bible study and heading from the family's brick bungalow on the city's South Side to worship a few miles away, near the University of Chicago.
The day of the interview at the house earlier this year, there was a reminder on Jabari's door to "put the Lord first" along with several sheets of 8-by-10 white paper. One listed the Ten Commandments, the other personal rules such as "don't be quick to judge" and "Think positive things."
For now, big things are happening for Parker. He's headed to a storied program. And then?
"His potential, the sky's the limit," Sonny Parker said.

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New York Knicks Tickets in December to Feature Dual-Rivalry Matchups, Opportunities for Payback on November Losses - Headline Tickets Offers Saving Code on NBA Tickets

While their November meeting with rivalry team the Brooklyn Nets ended in a 96-89 OT loss on November 26 at Brooklyn, the New York Knicks are set to play the Nets again in December, along with two games against the Chicago Bulls. New York Knicks tickets are now available at third-party ticket reseller sites like HeadlineTickets.com.

(PRWEB) December 20, 2012
The New York Knicks have participated in stellar play so far in the 2012-13 season, currently sharing the top of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference with the Brooklyn Nets. But tough losses to the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, and Memphis Grizzlies have kept the team from dominating the league, a title currently held by the Memphis Grizzlies, who hold a 0.833 winning percentage and 10-2 overall record heading into the end of November. New York Knicks tickets have been hot-selling items in 2012, and will likely become even more popular if the Knicks continue to battle for the top of the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks are on pace to surpass 60 wins this season, and could be preparing to capture their highest seeded season since the miraculous 1992-93 season. While the Knicks are certainly doing their part with an average 103-points-per-game, other teams that have historically caused problems for New York are also struggling with roster issues. The Chicago Bulls look to be without point guard Derrick Rose until after the All-Star break, while the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks traded away Dwight Howard and Joe Johnson, respectively. But Johnson will still pose a problem for the Knicks in a Nets uniform, as he already proved in on of the Knicks' few losses this year.
In addition to remaining a positive season on the record books, this season is also a positive one for the financial entity behind the New York Knicks. In addition to reporting record New York Knicks tickets sales, the Washington Post announced Wednesday November 28, 2012 that the Knicks also enjoy the top-selling team jersey numbers this season. This marks the first season since 2004 when Knicks merchandise led the NBA in sales. New York Knicks tickets will likely continue to sell well, along with merchandise, as the Knicks face off against the following teams in December:
Miami Heat

Charlotte Bobcats

Denver Nuggets

L.A. Lakers

Sacramento Kings

Minnesota Timberwolves
The New York Knicks hope that their squad led by Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace, Anthony Carmelo, and Steve Novak will continue to post huge offensive numbers as the 2012-13 season continues. The defense will need to show the most improvement to help the team continue their solid run. Iman Shumpert is still injured, while the Knicks dropped from the lowest points allowed to the 10th in the NBA. Shumpert suffered a torn ACL during the playoffs last season that team officials believe won't be healed until January, a long wait for a team with a tough December schedule.
About Headline Tickets
HeadlineTickets.com is one of the most popular secondary ticket websites on the Internet, with tickets available for sports, theater, and concert venues across the United States and Canada. Search the site for local entertainment in many local areas at prices that competitors can't match. Headline Tickets Now is an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau.

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Russian opera diva Vishnevskaya dies at 86

MOSCOW (AP) — World-renowned Russian opera diva Galina Vishnevskaya, who with her husband defied the Soviet regime to give shelter to writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn and suffered exile from her homeland, has died at 86.

Moscow's Opera Center, which Vishnevskaya created, said the singer celebrated internationally for her rich soprano voice died Tuesday in the Russian capital. It didn't give the cause.

Vishnevskaya and the cellist Mstislav Rostropovich married in 1955, frequently performed together and used their star status in the Soviet Union to help friends in trouble. In the most notable example of their defiance of the Communist authorities, they sheltered Solzhenitsyn at their country home for several years as he faced official reprisals.

"They hosted Solzhenitsyn at the moment when he had no place to live, even though they knew that the authorities will not pat them over their shoulder for doing that," said Lyudmila Alexeyeva, a Soviet-era dissident who heads the respected Moscow Helsinki Group rights watchdog, according to the Interfax news agency.

After Solzhenitsyn was expelled from the country, Vishnevskaya and Rostropovich left the Soviet Union with their two daughters in 1974. They lived in Paris and then Washington, and were stripped of their Soviet citizenship in 1978.

They returned to Russia after the Soviet collapse and became involved in public activities and charitable work. Rostropovich, who was Vishnevskaya's third husband, died in 2007.

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who restored Soviet citizenship for Vishnevskaya and Rostropovich in 1990, praised them for their eagerness to help others. "They were people who not only excelled in art, but came to help those who needed it," Gorbachev was quoted by Interfax as saying.

Vishnevskaya was born in Leningrad in 1926. Her parents separated when she was 5 and she was raised by her grandmother. She remained in the city during the Nazi siege and served as a volunteer helping defend the city from Luftwaffe bombings.

Vishnevskaya joined Moscow's Bolshoi Theater in 1952, making her debut as Tatiana in "Yevgeny Onegin" the following year. She remained its prima for more than two decades, performing dozens of soprano roles in Russian and European opera classics.

The late Boris Pokrovsky, who directed her at the Bolshoi, once praised Vishnevskaya's "extraordinary musical and vocal abilities, theatrical charm, hot temperament, natural feeling of the stage, and bold outspokenness."

Dmitri Shostakovich, a neighbor and a close friend, wrote two song cycles and an orchestration of Mussorgsky's "Songs and Dances of Death" for her. Benjamin Britten wanted her to be part of the premiere of his "War Requiem" in 1962, but the authorities prevented her from leaving the Soviet Union.

She made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Aida in 1961 and first sang Liu in Turandot in La Scala in 1964. In 1966, she won the coveted title of the People's Artist of the USSR.

Another legendary Russian diva, Yelena Obraztsova, hailed Vishnevskaya as a perfectionist. "Everything she did, she did well," Obraztsova said, according to RIA Novosti news agency. "She was very demanding to herself, not just others."

Vishnevskaya, who is survived by her two daughters, will be buried Friday at Moscow's Novodevichy Cemetery alongside her husband.

President Vladimir Putin sent his condolences, praising the singer's "remarkable talent, strong will, nobleness and self-dignity." And Putin's envoy for international culture ties, Mikhail Shvydkoi, called her death a "huge loss not just for the Russian, but for the world culture."

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Russian opera diva Vishnevskaya dies at 86

MOSCOW (AP) — World-renowned Russian opera diva Galina Vishnevskaya, who with her husband defied the Soviet regime to give shelter to writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn and suffered exile from her homeland, has died at 86.

Moscow's Opera Center, which Vishnevskaya created, said the singer celebrated internationally for her rich soprano voice died Tuesday in the Russian capital. It didn't give the cause.

Vishnevskaya and the cellist Mstislav Rostropovich married in 1955, frequently performed together and used their star status in the Soviet Union to help friends in trouble. In the most notable example of their defiance of the Communist authorities, they sheltered Solzhenitsyn at their country home for several years as he faced official reprisals.

"They hosted Solzhenitsyn at the moment when he had no place to live, even though they knew that the authorities will not pat them over their shoulder for doing that," said Lyudmila Alexeyeva, a Soviet-era dissident who heads the respected Moscow Helsinki Group rights watchdog, according to the Interfax news agency.

After Solzhenitsyn was expelled from the country, Vishnevskaya and Rostropovich left the Soviet Union with their two daughters in 1974. They lived in Paris and then Washington, and were stripped of their Soviet citizenship in 1978.

They returned to Russia after the Soviet collapse and became involved in public activities and charitable work. Rostropovich, who was Vishnevskaya's third husband, died in 2007.

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who restored Soviet citizenship for Vishnevskaya and Rostropovich in 1990, praised them for their eagerness to help others. "They were people who not only excelled in art, but came to help those who needed it," Gorbachev was quoted by Interfax as saying.

Vishnevskaya was born in Leningrad in 1926. Her parents separated when she was 5 and she was raised by her grandmother. She remained in the city during the Nazi siege and served as a volunteer helping defend the city from Luftwaffe bombings.

Vishnevskaya joined Moscow's Bolshoi Theater in 1952, making her debut as Tatiana in "Yevgeny Onegin" the following year. She remained its prima for more than two decades, performing dozens of soprano roles in Russian and European opera classics.

The late Boris Pokrovsky, who directed her at the Bolshoi, once praised Vishnevskaya's "extraordinary musical and vocal abilities, theatrical charm, hot temperament, natural feeling of the stage, and bold outspokenness."

Dmitri Shostakovich, a neighbor and a close friend, wrote two song cycles and an orchestration of Mussorgsky's "Songs and Dances of Death" for her. Benjamin Britten wanted her to be part of the premiere of his "War Requiem" in 1962, but the authorities prevented her from leaving the Soviet Union.

She made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Aida in 1961 and first sang Liu in Turandot in La Scala in 1964. In 1966, she won the coveted title of the People's Artist of the USSR.

Another legendary Russian diva, Yelena Obraztsova, hailed Vishnevskaya as a perfectionist. "Everything she did, she did well," Obraztsova said, according to RIA Novosti news agency. "She was very demanding to herself, not just others."

Vishnevskaya, who is survived by her two daughters, will be buried Friday at Moscow's Novodevichy Cemetery alongside her husband.

President Vladimir Putin sent his condolences, praising the singer's "remarkable talent, strong will, nobleness and self-dignity." And Putin's envoy for international culture ties, Mikhail Shvydkoi, called her death a "huge loss not just for the Russian, but for the world culture."

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