CAIRO, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The following are some of major Middle East news stories due to be covered or pursued by Xinhua News Agency on Monday.

-- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is scheduled to leave at noon Monday on a 24-hour visit to Moscow for talks expected to focus on Iran's nuclear program and Russian arms sales to Tehran and Damascus.

-- Newly-appointed Arab League (AL) envoy to Iraq Hani Khallaf will assume his duties in Baghdad and he is due to travel to Iraq according to a decision of AL Secretary General Amr Moussa.

-- Continue to follow security developments in Iraq after up to 11 people from one family were killed Sunday when U.S. troops raided a suspected insurgent house in the city of Mosul.

-- Evidence showed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement is preparing to launch a major operation against Hamas in the West Bank in the coming weeks ahead of any turmoil when Abbas' term ends in January. Monitoring.

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