Papua New Guinea's Michael Somare, 'father of the nation', dies

FILE PHOTO: Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Michael Somare visits the Bushfire Emergency Coordination Centre in Melbourne April 29, 2009. Prime Minister Somare is in Melbourne to visit areas devastated by the recent bushfires. REUTERS/Mick Tsikas

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Papua New Guinea's first prime minister, Michael Somare, has died aged 84, his daughter said on Friday.

Known as the "father of the nation", Somare led the Pacific archipelago to independence from Australia in 1975 and served four times as prime minister.