A look at the events in 2014 likely to have the most lasting impact on the region and beyond.

The US needs a more strategic approach in providing assistance to the two troubled countries.

Half the aid workers in Afghanistan received death treats or intimidation during the past year as foreign troops phased out their operations and funding began to dwindle, a survey released ahead of the London conference on Afghanistan said.

India offers around 1,000 scholarships every year to the Afghan students, which is sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).  At present, the Afghan students are pursuing courses in international studies, economics, bachelors' degrees, B. Tech and many more programmes in various universities across India.

For a brief moment after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election victory, there was optimism in both India and Pakistan. (...)Unfortunately, it has all been downhill since. 

In less than two weeks, Afghanistan’s new president, Ashraf Ghani, will head to London to meet with international donors. At the conference, scheduled for Dec. 4, he will seek billions of dollars to develop Afghanistan in a new era, as U.S. and international combat troops are preparing to withdraw by year's end. Afghanistan is facing a fiscal crisis; it recently ran out of money to pay salaries of civil servants.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are neighbors with some difficult issues to work out.  Well, over the weekend, the leaders of the two countries met, but it wasn't your usual diplomatic encounter.  hey call it cricket diplomacy. If you're not getting along with your neighbors, invite them over for a game.