The premier of Qatar meets the head of the Taliban

Qatar's prime minister held secret talks with the Taliban's supreme leader this month to resolve tensions with the international community, a source familiar with the meeting said, signaling a new willingness on the part of Afghanistan's rulers to discuss ways to end their isolation.

The May 12 meeting in the southern Afghanistan city of Kandahar between Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and Haibatullah Akhunzada is the first the recluse Taliban leader has had with a foreign leader.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said other issues Sheikh Mohammed raised with Haibatullah include the need to end Taliban bans on girls' education and women's employment.