When crossing over from Raffles City to Raffles Swissotel today, I had to undergo a bag search prior to entering the hotel as part of the IMF/World Bank security checks that have been put in place. When searching my bag, the policeman found a copy of The Financial Times. The following ensued.

Policeman: What's that?
Me: It's The Financial Times. It's a newspaper.
P.: What kind of paper is it?
Me.: (looking at it and thinking perhaps the colour of the paper has thrown him off) It's newsprint.
P.: Is there written in it?
Me.: It's a newspaper. (followed by a silent duh!)
P.: Is there anything in it?

At this point, I take out the paper from my bag and shake it open to prove that I don't have anything hidden in it.

The policeman waves me on.

Later on, as I related this incident to a friend, he said, "I think he wanted to know if there was anything inflammatory written in the paper."

Ooooh. That, I get. Why couldn't he have asked that in the first place?