Iran vows ‘serious response’ to new sanctions, says no changes; NEWS BRIEFING; Staff and news services; ISIS group offshoot claims Oct. attack on U.S. troops in Niger; After outcry, Mark Wahlberg donates $1.5 million film fee; Christ statue in Peru damaged by fire days before pope’s visit; Saudi Arabia stadiums begin opening to women; Rival Koreas agree to talk on art troupe’s Olympics visit

Iran's Foreign Ministry said Saturday that it would not agree to any changes to the nuclear deal, as President Donald Trump has demanded, and it vowed a "serious response" to new U.S. sanctions that it said crossed a red line.

The countries that negotiated the multilateral 2015 agreement with the United States were thrown into confusion, anger and disapproval over Trump's ultimatum Friday to withdraw from the deal within months if his conditions are not met.

Trump is insisting on changes to the nuclear deal and U.S. law that would be difficult if not impossible to finesse. He wants Iran to allow the immediate inspection of all sites as requested by U.N. inspectors, and he demands no lapse of the "sunset" provisions imposing curbs on Iran's nuclear program. He also wants Congress to modify U.S. law to link missile tests and nuclear weapons programs, as well as impose trigger points that would automatically snap sanctions back into place.

Russia called Trump's remarks "extremely negative." China said the deal now faces "complicating factors." And the European Union said it would "assess" the implications.

But the strongest reaction came from Tehran, which agreed under the deal to curb its nuclear program and allow inspections of its nuclear facilities in exchange for relief from punishing economic sanctions.

Trump reluctantly extended waivers on the sanctions Friday but said it was the last time he would do so without the changes.

A Foreign Ministry statement reported by the state-run IRNA news agency said Iran "will not accept any change in the deal, neither now or in the future."

It also said Iran will "not take any action beyond its commitments."

ISIS group offshoot claims Oct. attack on U.S. troops in Niger

DAKAR, Senegal - An Islamic State group offshoot is claiming it carried out the October attack in Niger that killed four U.S. soldiers and four Nigerien troops and sparked questions about U.S. military involvement in West Africa's vast Sahel region.

The Mauritanian Nouakchott News Agency reported Friday that Abu al-Walid al-Sahrawi with the self-professed ISIS affiliate claimed responsibility for the Oct. 4 ambush about 120 miles north of Niger's capital, Niamey.

The news agency has carried messages from the affiliate before, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadi websites.

The U.S. Africa Command has been investigating the attack, which also wounded two U.S. and eight Nigerien troops.

A final report is expected to be released this month.

After outcry, Mark Wahlberg donates $1.5 million film fee

NEW YORK - Following an outcry over a significant disparity in pay between co-stars, Mark Wahlberg agreed Saturday to donate the $1.5 million he earned for reshoots for "All the Money in the World" to the sexual misconduct defense initiative Time's Up.

Wahlberg said he'll donate the money in the name of his co-star, Michelle Williams, who reportedly made less than $1,000 on the reshoots. "I 100% support the fight for fair pay," Wahlberg said in a statement.

The announcement came after directors and stars shared shock at reports of the huge pay disparity for the Ridley Scott film. The 10 days of reshoots were necessary after Kevin Spacey was replaced by Christopher Plummer when accusations of sexual misconduct surfaced against Spacey.

Christ statue in Peru damaged by fire days before pope's visit

LIMA, Peru - A giant Christ statue in Peru's capital that was donated by a construction company at the center of Latin America's largest corruption scandal was damaged Saturday in a fire, days before Pope Francis is set to arrive in the South American nation.

Peruvians awoke to find nearly the entire back of the statue, perched on a barren desert bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, charred black.

A spokesperson with Peru's firefighting corps told RPP Noticias that two dozen firefighters responded to the blaze and that an early working theory was the "Christ of the Pacific" was purposely set aflame. However police later told state news agency Andina that electrical cables for the statue's lighting had short-circuited due to humidity, sparking the blaze.

Saudi Arabia stadiums begin opening to women

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi women were allowed into a sports stadium for the first time Friday to watch a soccer match between two local teams - though they were segregated in the stands from the male-only crowd with designated seating in the so-called family section.

The move was the first of Saudi Arabia's social reforms planned for this year to ease restrictions on women, spearheaded by the kingdom's 32-year-old crown prince.

The kingdom has also announced that starting in June women will be allowed to drive, lifting the world's only ban on female drivers.

The first stadium to open its doors to women was in the Red Sea city of Jiddah.

The stadium in the capital, Riyadh, was to open to women on Saturday, followed by the western city of Dammam on Thursday.

Rival Koreas agree to talk on art troupe's Olympics visit

SEOUL, South Korea - The rival Koreas agreed Saturday that their talks this week will address a North Korean art troupe's visit to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in the South, rather than the participation of the nation's athletes.

Pyongyang wanted talks on sending its athletes and other officials to the February Olympics to be held at a later date so that Monday's talks can focus primarily on the North Korean art troupe's participation in the Games, Seoul's Unification Ministry said. The South agreed to the proposal, the ministry said.

Officials from the nations met earlier last week in their first talks in more than two years. At that meeting they agreed to hold military talks and send a North Korean delegation of officials, athletes, cheerleaders and others to the Olympics.

Harrods, the luxury London department store, is reportedly planning to remove a memorial to Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed. British media, including The Times and the BBC, reported Saturday that the bronze statue will be returned to Dodi's father, Mohamed Al Fayed, who previously owned Harrods.

Czech President Milos Zeman failed to win re-election during the first round of a presidential election Saturday and will face a runoff in two weeks against the former head of the country's Academy of Sciences. Zeman and Jiri Drahos advanced to a second round of voting after initial voting held Friday and Saturday.

Caption: Bonjour Yuan Meng: France's first baby panda makes his public debut Saturday by acting like many 5-month-olds - climbing all over his mother, who looks like she just wants to rest. Yuan Meng has mostly been hidden from view since his birth in August.

GUILLAUME SOUVANT/GETTY-AFP