Noriega extradition gets US approval

Panama's government said the long-awaited extradition of former dictator Manuel Noriega is one step closer to reality after a French court said it received US approval to send Noriega home to face a 20-year prison sentence here.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that US approval was needed to return Noriega to Panama because the United States originally extradited him to France, where he was sentenced to seven years for money laundering.