Michael Cohen, a former attorney and fixer for Donald Trump, testified against the ex-president on May 13, 2024, in New York, during Trump’s criminal trial. Cohen claimed that the hush-money payment he made to Stormy Daniels in 2016 was directed by Trump to protect his presidential campaign. Cohen’s testimony aimed to dispute Trump’s defense, which suggests he was unaware of Cohen’s actions to suppress negative stories. Cohen described Trump as a micromanager focused intensely on his campaign efforts.

In Israel, national mourning ceremonies for victims of war and terror attacks were disrupted by protesters on May 13, 2024. The protests were driven by demands for more governmental action regarding the release of hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7 attack. To date, over 100 out of approximately 240 hostages have been released. Israeli airstrikes continue in Gaza, targeting Hamas, which has led to significant civilian displacement.

In Ukraine, challenges are mounting for the air defense systems with a significant drop in their interception rate of Russian missiles from over 80% in May of the previous year to below 50%. The decrease in intercept efficacy has led to increased damage to Ukraine’s infrastructure and power supplies.

Additionally, the Cannes Film Festival started with notable entries including Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” starring Anya Taylor-Joy. The festival is also shadowed by potential strikes from festival workers and ongoing reflections on the French film industry’s #MeToo movement.