IHT Quick Read: Nov. 16 NEWS Israel and Hamas brushed aside international calls for restraint on Thursday and escalated their lethal conflict over Gaza, where Palestinian militants launched hundreds of rockets into Israeli territory, targeting Tel Aviv for the first time, and Israel intensified its aerial assaults and sent armored vehicles rumbling toward the Gaza border for a possible invasion. Isabel Kershner and Rick Gladstone report. BP, the British oil company, said on Thursday that it had agreed to pay $4.5 billion in fines and other penalties and to plead guilty to 14 criminal charges related to the rig explosion two years ago that killed 11 people and caused a giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Clifford Krauss and John Schwartz report from Houston, Texas. China's new leader, Xi Jinping, impressed many people with a plain-spoken promise to address problems in the country's ruling party on Thursday, but his new leadership team offered few clues as to a clear shift in direction. The tax changes slated for the 2013 budget by President François Hollande's Socialist government are having an effect on the Paris luxury property market before they have even passed into law. Agents say rare properties are being listed for sale almost weekly, creating buying opportunities for foreigners. Jean Rafferty reports from Paris. ARTS The Royal Danish Ballet, one of the world's great classical companies, had never danced "La Bayadère," an important full length ballet, until now. Roslyn Sulcas reviews in Copenhagen. FASHION Italian luxury brands are typically associated with style, quality and understated elegance. Elisabetta Povoledo reports from Rome. SPORTS Zlatan Ibrahimovic might seem indifferent while on the soccer field, but that doesn't mean he can't pour in the goals from nearly anywhere. Rob Hughes writes from London.