Adoption from Russia made the headlines this week and most of them were wrong. I'm going to come back to this issue later today, but for now, please know that Russia has not "curtailed" or "halted" adoption, or "suspended" foreign adoption groups.

One headline that wasn't: "Couple admit to manslaughter in adopted Russian son's death". Robert and Brenda Matthey were convicted in 2004 of child abuse but the jury hearing the case of the October 2000 death of their son Viktor deadlocked on the more serious counts of aggravated manslaughter and manslaughter. On Thursday, the New Jersey couple finally acknowledged responsibility for Viktor's death and pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless manslaughter. As part of the plea deal, however, the 10-year jail sentence that the Mattheys are now serving for the child abuse conviction was reduced to seven; they will be eligible for parole this December.

In other news, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday that Russia's economic growth will slow to 6.4% this year and 5.9% for 2008. That would be down from the 6.7% pace for 2006, but still fairly healthy by economic standards. Meanwhile, Russia's deputy prime minister said that inflation was down this March from its year-earlier pace. Russia is trying to keep inflation below 8% for 2007.

Russian Health Minister Mikhail Zurabov is fighting for his job. Zurabov, who made headlines earlier this year for announcing his family would adopt another child, is under fire from a key Russian legislator for his efforts to reform Soviet-era health and drug benefits. The reforms have led to a shortage of free drugs for war veterans and the disabled.

Pravda reported that Russia ruled out creating a natural gas producer cartel at a meeting of gas exporting countries in Qatar this week. Other news sources weren't so sure.

Further afield, a Russian space expert told Reuters that Russia is working on a space transportation system that could make industrial development possible on the moon.

And then there was this space bombshell: Bill Gates could be the next Microsoft billionaire on a Soyuz rocket. Former employee Charles Simonyi blasted off to the International Space Station last Saturday. But the Russian cosmonaut traveling with Simonyi said Wednesday that Simonyi told him that Gates is "also preparing to visit space." No comment yet from Microsoft.