The death toll from severe flash floods in Russia's southern Krasnodar region climbed to 150 people from the figure of 146 released earlier by investigators, a police spokeswoman said Sunday.

The worst hit area was an area around Krymsk, a town of 57,000 lying about 200 kilometers (120 miles) northwest of the Black Sea resort town of Sochi where Russia will host the 2014 Summer Olympic Games.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he was "at a bit of a loss" that a street was named after him in Bethlehem, revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus.

Putin spoke in Jordan as he wrapped up his Middle East tour, which included a stop in Bethlehem in the West Bank and talks with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas who ordered a street to be named after his guest.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was to hold talks Tuesday with Jordan's King Abdullah II as part of a Middle East tour aimed at boosting Moscow regional role.

Putin, who arrived in Jordan from the occupied West bank, will meet with the king on the shores of Dead Sea in the Jordan Valley, officials said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to help unblock long-stalled negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Putin met with Abbas during a stop in Bethlehem on a brief trip to the West Bank, a day after a stop in Israel where he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres.

Israeli officials asked visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin to exert efforts to stop Syrian biological and chemical weapons from falling into the hands of Hizbullah, a senior Israeli diplomatic source said.

"We asked Putin for Russia to work more actively to preserve stability in Syria, to prevent biological and chemical weapons from falling into the hands of Hizbullah or other terror groups," the source told Israeli daily Haaretz.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Israel on Monday for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders against the backdrop of sustained violence in Syria and concern on Iran's nuclear program.

Putin arrived around midday (09:00 GMT) for a first stop in the northern Israeli town of Netanya, where he was to participate in the unveiling of a memorial honoring the role of the Red Army in World War II.

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said Russia needed to find its own democratic model that avoided "dangerous" changes and ensured the continuity of power.

Putin also told an economic forum in a keynote address that those interested in entering politics should behave responsibly -- a clear reference to the protests that greeted his return to an historic third term this year.

Syrian President Bashar Assad may be granted safe passage or even clemency by the United States and Britain if he agrees to join peace talks in Syria likely to be held in Geneva, reported the Guardian on Thursday.

It said that Britain and the U.S. are willing to make this offer as part of diplomatic pressure aimed at holding the conference in Geneva.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday called for an end to violence in Syria and said its people should be allowed to democratically decide their future.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Jordan on June 26 for talks with King Abdullah II on Arab uprisings as well as regional peace efforts, the palace said on Monday.

"Putin will start a one-day visit to Jordan on June 26, during which he will discuss with the king political changes and developments in the Middle East as well as efforts to achieve peace there," the palace said, indicating that the two leaders will discuss Arab uprisings and Mideast peace efforts.