Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton shakes hands during a door-to-door campaign swing in Manchester, New Hampshire, 15 Dec 2007

U.S. presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and John McCain have received endorsements by a newspaper in Iowa, where the first step in the election process takes place next month.

The Des Moines Register endorsed Senator Clinton for the Democratic Party nomination and Senator McCain for the Republican Party, saying they are the most competent and ready to lead of the 2008 presidential hopefuls.

Meanwhile, the Boston Globe newspaper endorsed Democratic Senator Barack Obama, saying he fulfills America's need for a president with an intuitive sense of the wider world.

The newspaper also endorsed Senator McCain, calling him a straight talker who could help a polarized nation.

Iowa holds presidential caucuses on January 3 in which state voters from each party choose their preferred candidates for the November election.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.