PRESS DIGEST- Financial Times - Aug 25

Aug 25 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Financial Times. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

Headlines

- Keurig Dr Pepper nears $18bn deal to buy European coffee group JDE Peet's

- Tougher community penalties to replace short jail terms in England

- HSBC Swiss unit culls wealthy Middle Eastern clients amid regulator scrutiny

- UK sets out overhaul of asylum appeals process as protests continue

Overview

- Keurig Dr Pepper KDP.O is nearing a roughly $18 billion acquisition of European coffee company JDE Peet's JDEP.AS in a deal that could set the stage for the break-up of the U.S. drinks giant.

- Short prison sentences are to be replaced by tougher punishments in the community - including banning offenders from pubs or sports matches - as ministers attempt to manage the prisons crisis in England and Wales.

- HSBC's HSBA.L Swiss private bank has launched a cull of more than 1,000 wealthy Middle Eastern clients as it faces ongoing scrutiny from regulators over high-risk clients.

- Home secretary Yvette Cooper has announced an overhaul of the UK asylum appeals process to tackle "completely unacceptable delays" against a backdrop of protests about the use of hotels to house asylum seekers.