Newsnight - Season 2011 Episode 157 18/08/2011

Stock markets have seen falls of about 5%, and some bank shares have plunged 10%, as the negative mood which has caused recent turmoil takes hold again. Paul Mason will have the latest news and analysis on that and we will be speaking to Jeffrey Sachs, who says we have been tripped up by globalisation. Caroline Hawley will report on the call from the leaders of the US, UK, France, Germany and EU for Syria's President Assad to step down over his suppression of protesters, and whether he is likely to heed them. Plus, many students hoping to go to university face an even more intense battle for places than usual as this is the last intake of students to English universities before the introduction of tuition fees of up to £9,000 a year in 2012. David Grossman reports on whether the government's changes - not just higher fees, but significant changes to the structure of the higher education in this country - really benefit young people and whether they will provide the skills the country needs? We have been to the Mossbourne Academy - a very successful school on the edge of the Mossbourne estate in Hackney, which was the backdrop to some of last weeks riots - and the school's head teacher, Sir Michael Wilshaw, will be joining the debate in our studio. And on the 20th anniversary of the 1991 Russian coup we have a Bridget Kendal film in which she talks to many of the key players including Mikhail Gorbachev.