Wednesday's news in less than 2 minutes.

1. Three American women, who all went missing in separate incidents around a decade ago, have been found alive in a residential home in Ohio. Two of the women were just children when they were allegedly kidnapped.

Three brothers have been named as the women’s suspected captors and it is believed that several pregnancies occurred while they were being held captive. More evidence is coming to light through the day and we will keep you updated. Check back for more news during the day.

2. Tony Abbott has come under fire from online commentators, for commending his Paid Parental Leave scheme to Australians as a way to ensure ‘women of calibre’ are able to raise a family and remain in the workforce. The #womenofcalibre hashtag was the highest trending topic on Twitter yesterday, as Abbott was widely slammed for his comments. But our publisher Mia Freedman, has come to his defence in an opinion piece you can read here.

3. The parents of Madeleine Milne, a 13-year-old Sydney schoolgirl who took her own life less than a fortnight ago, have spoken to the Daily Telegraph about her death. Peter and Valery Milne say that they believe both anxiety and school bullying played a role in their daughter’s decision.

4. Translators who were working on Dan Brown’s new novel, Inferno, have described their working conditions to the world – and they’re like something out of the Da Vinci Code itself.

The translators worked in an underground bunker for weeks on end, having to get permission to enter the outside world and being sworn to secrecy over the contents of the book.

5. Police in the English town of York arrested a woman for assaulting a 17-year-old in a McDonalds last week. The accused wasn’t a fan of the traditional balaclava and was instead dressed as cartoon character the Incredible Hulk, complete with green skin and red hair.

6. Associação de Assistência às Pessoas com Câncer is a Brazilian charity that supports people who are suffering from cancer and their families. And their mascot? Is a giant testicle. Yes. Really. ‘Mr Balls’ is apparently a favourite with parents and kids alike, who enjoy having their photo taken with him.