An Australian lawmaker is critical but stable after being apparently deliberately hit by a car

Australian federal lawmaker Helen Haines remained in critical but stable condition in hospital Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, after she was apparently deliberately hit twice by a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV outside her office in Wangaratta, Victoria, on Monday. The 43-year-old driver was in police custody. Albanese praised Ricky Jefferies, a local barber who ran from his store to help restrain the suspect; Jefferies told reporters he searched the driver’s pockets and removed a knife, which police later confirmed was found. Haines, 65, was first taken to hospital in Wangaratta and airlifted to Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital, about 236 kilometers away. Authorities say threats against parliamentarians have risen sharply.