BBC News with David Auston.

The director of the American Central Intelligence Agency David Petraeus has resigned, reportedly over an

extra-marital affair

. President Obama accepted his resignation and thanked General Petraeus for decades of service to the United States. Kim Ghattas reports from Washington.

General David Petraeus issued a statement to announce that he'd handed in his resignation to President Barack Obama on Thursday afternoon. He said that after 37 years of married life, he'd shown poor judgement by having an extra-marital affair. Mr Petraeus said his behaviour was unacceptable as a husband and as a leader of an organization like the CIA. In a statement, President Obama said General Petraeus had served with dedication and

patriotism

for decades and was an outstanding General officer. Mr Obama also said he wished the General and his wife the very best at this difficult time.

President Obama has said rich Americans would have to pay more tax under any deal to avert a

looming

budget crisis. Setting the tone for talks with congressional leaders, Mr Obama said he was open to cooperation and compromise with Republicans.

I am ready to every detail of my plan. I am

open to

compromise, I am open to new ideas, I am committed to solving our fiscal challenge. But I refuse to accept any approach that isn't balanced, I am not gonna ask students, and seniors and middle-class families to pay down the entire deficit, while people like me making over $250,000 are asked to pay a