Some neutron stars, called pulsars, emit streams of light that we see as flashes because the beams of light sweep in and out of our vision as the star rotates. The fastest known pulsar, named PSR J1748-2446ad, spins 43,000 times every minute.
Yes! Flares occur on most if not all types of stars (although in that case they're called stellar rather than solar flares). In fact, flares from other stars are frequently more severe both stronger and more frequent than those produced by the Sun.