Zimbabwe's Mugabe hardens threat over protests

HARARE, Apr 18 (Reuters) Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe issued a stark new warning today to opponents he said were planning ''to topple the government through organising violent demonstrations''.

''I want to warn them that they are playing with fire,'' Mugabe said in a broadcast speech marking his southern African country's 26 years of independence, all of it under his rule. It was Mugabe's second warning since his main opponent, Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), called last month for street protests to end Mugabe's long rule.

REUTERS OM RAI1738