French President Francois Hollande (L) embraces German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a remembrance ceremony to mark the centenary of the battle of Verdun, at the Douaumont Ossuary (Ossuaire de Douaumont), northeastern France, on May 29, 2016. The battle of Verdun, in 1916, was one of the bloodiest episodes of World War I. The offensive which lasted 300 days claimed more than 300,000 lives. / AFP PHOTO / FREDERICK FLORIN