Al-Jazeera said Sunday it is slashing about 500 jobs a little more than two months after announcing the closure of its U.S. offshoot.<br />The cutbacks come as 2022 World Cup host Qatar refocuses its spending priorities amid a steep drop in prices for oil and gas, the backbone of the OPEC nation's economy.<br />The Al-Jazeera Media Network described the cuts as part of a "workforce optimization initiative" tied to an evolving media landscape.<br />The network did not make officials available for comment, but confirmed it currently employs about 4,500 people.<br />Most of those losing their jobs are based in Qatar.
