Two married couples have died after a British car veered off the road and crashed in Germany, according to police.

The fatal accident happened shortly after midnight on Saturday in the trees near a highway in the Kassel district, north of Hesse in central Germany.

The 32-year-old male driver, a 31-year-old female passenger, a 32-year-old female passenger, and a 30-year-old female passenger all died at the scene, despite the efforts of German emergency services.

Sky News understands UK officials have not been contacted for assistance.

At roughly 12.30am on Saturday, the car appears to have veered off the road and crashed into nearby trees around 30m from the road, according to the Kassel police department.

One of the victim’s phones automatically alerted the emergency services to the incident, who sent an ambulance to the scene.

Soon, fire engines, ambulances, command vehicles and emergency support vehicles were all dispatched.

When emergency workers arrived, the car was lying on its side, wedged between several trees.

It wasn’t until they removed the roof that they found all four passengers.

The emergency workers who dealt with the victims were immediately supported by the specialist mental health workers at the fire station in Reinhardshagen.

“This high number of deaths is an extraordinary operation for our Reinhardshagen Volunteer Fire Department,” said a fire department spokesperson.

“For some of the emergency personnel, it is the first time they have been confronted with death in this way.

“Therefore, a great deal is being done to help us process these images. We will also discuss this among ourselves and within families, because not everyone can easily shake off what they have seen.”

An investigation into the accident is ongoing and is being conducted by the Hofgeismar police station.

Legendary boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. will stand trial over alleged cartel ties and arms trafficking, his lawyer has said. 

A Mexican court has granted a three-month extension for further investigation into the case, according to Chávez’s lawyer, Rubén Fernando Benítez Alvarez.

He said the claims against his client were “speculation” and “urban legends” after a court hearing on Saturday in the northern Mexican city of Hermosillo.

If convicted, Chávez – who took part in the hearing virtually from a detention facility – could face a prison sentence of four to eight years, Mr Alvarez said.

Chávez, 39, who has been living in the United States for several years, was arrested in early July by federal agents outside his Los Angeles home for overstaying his visa and providing inaccurate details on an application to obtain a green card.

The arrest came just days after a fight he had with famed American boxer Jake Paul in Los Angeles.

Mexican prosecutors have been investigating the boxer since 2019 after US authorities filed a complaint against the Sinaloa Cartel for organized crime, human trafficking, arms smuggling, and drug trafficking.

The case prompted investigations into 13 individuals, including Ovidio Guzmán López – the son of convicted drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán – as well as several associates, hitmen, and accomplices of the criminal organization. Guzmán López was arrested in January 2023 and extradited to the US eight months later.

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Following the inquiry, the Federal Attorney General’s Office issued several arrest warrants, including one against Chávez.

The boxer was deported by the US on 9 August and handed over to agents of the Federal Attorney General’s Office in Sonora state, who transferred him to the Federal Social Reintegration Center in Hermosillo.

The high-profile case comes amid the Trump administration’s efforts to pressure Mexico into cracking down on organized crime, including cancelling visas of prominent Mexican artists and celebrities, and increasing deportations.

Chávez has struggled with drug addiction throughout his career and has been arrested multiple times. In 2012, he was found guilty of driving under the influence in Los Angeles and was sentenced to 13 days in jail.

The boxer was arrested last year for weapons possession. Police said Chávez had two rifles.

He was released shortly afterward upon posting $50,000 bail (£36,000), on the condition that he attend a facility to receive treatment for his addiction.

Thousands of Australians protested in support of Palestine on Sunday, two weeks after the country announced it would recognise a Palestinian state. 

More than 40 protests took place across the country, according to Palestine Action Group, an Australian organisation.

The group said around 350,000 people attended rallies nationwide, although police have estimated lower numbers in some cities.

Organiser Josh Lees in Sydney said the protesters were marching to “demand an end to this genocide in Gaza and to demand that our government sanction Israel“.

A group representing Australia’s Jewish community, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said the rallies created “an unsafe environment and shouldn’t be happening”.

In the last week, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched more personal attacks against Australia’s Anthony Albanese.

“I think his record is forever tarnished by the weakness that he showed in the face of [these] Hamas terrorist monsters,” he said on Wednesday, after earlier describing Mr Albanese as “a weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews.”

Mr Albanese said he did not “take these things personally” and that he treated the leaders of other countries with respect.

His government’s decision to formally recognise the Palestinian state in September, made on 11 August, came after tens of thousands of Australians marched over Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge in support of Palestine.