[JURIST] French President Jacques Chirac [BBC profile] on Monday said that he plans to officially end [press release, in French] France's state of emergency [JURIST document] on Wednesday. The status of heightened security and increased police powers, implemented in November in response to rioting [JURIST report] in Paris, was originally scheduled to end in late February but will be lifted ahead of schedule as a result of calm New Years Eve festivities. AP has more. Le Monde has local coverage [in French].