LAST Friday’s Observer front page was one of 11 highlighted by US-based BET.com over the weekend for coverage of the death of pop icon Michael Jackson.

The Observer was the only regional newspaper which was highlighted for its handling of the star’s passing.

The highlight – under the heading Michael Jackson’s death: the world reacts – looked at how newspapers worldwide carried the tragic news and singled out other papers such as the New York Times and Taiwan-based Daily Evening News.

The website praised the Observer for its catchy headline, Speechless.

“On the cover page of Kingston’s Daily Observer, the headline is Speechless. In one word, the publication captures the emotion of shocked fans and critics around the world,” BET’s caption read.

The site also listed Germany’s Bild; Mexico’s La Opinion; The Jornal De Noticas from Portugal; the Daily Echo, United Kingdom; The Times, South Africa; The Toronto Sun and USA Today.

Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become arguably the world’s most celebrated pop icon, died last Thursday at the UCLA Medical Centre in Los Angeles, after an apparent cardiac arrest. He was 50 years old.