Sri Lankan shares closed higher on Thursday, as financial and industrial stocks rose.

* The CSE All-Share index settled 0.99% higher at 12,310.78.

* Sri Lanka has given Elon Musk's Starlink, the satellite unit of SpaceX, preliminary approval to provide internet services there, the president's office said on Thursday.

* Sri Lanka fast-tracked the approval process after Musk met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe last month in Indonesia on the sidelines of the 10th World Water Forum.

* Ceylon Tobacco Company Plc and LOLC Holdings Plc were the top gainers on the index, up 1.9% each.

* Trading volume on the index rose to 49.2 million shares from 37.2 million shares in the previous session.

* The equity market's turnover rose to 1.56 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($5.15 million) from 1.25 million rupees in the previous session, according to exchange data.

* Foreign investors were net sellers, offloading stocks worth 96.9 million rupees, while domestic investors were net buyers, purchasing shares worth 1.50 billion rupees, the data showed.

* For a report on global markets, click ($1 = 302.8000 Sri Lankan rupees) (Reporting by Ashna Teresa Britto; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)