Next month we’ll be marking a year since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Since then, concerns about what the ultra-conservative regime would mean for the nation’s future have not been addressed. Still, those in charge reckon they’re worthy of international recognition despite ignoring demands – like opening the education system up to girls. Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s reclusive supreme leader, joined a 3-day gathering of more than 4,000 men on Friday and called for the end of sanctions, along with releasing the country’s foreign reserves and support for the development of Afghanistan. US officials, who held top-level talks with the Taliban last week, said they continue to be concerned about “interference by the Taliban in the delivery of humanitarian assistance” and their ongoing poor record in women’s rights.