Flames ripped through the complex housing Kuwait's new opera house on Monday, just three months after the futuristic USD770mn venue opened to the public. A thick plume of black smoke rose from the waterfront Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Center, television footage showed. In a statement later in the day, the center said the fire had been contained with no casualties. The blaze hit the roof of the complex building, away from the theater and music buildings, it added. The center's statement said events and activities there would continue uninterrupted. (Reuters)