We investigate the structure of circle actions with the Rokhlin property, particularly in relation to equivariant $KK$-theory. Our main results are $\mathbb {T}$-equivariant versions of celebrated results of Kirchberg: any Rokhlin action on a separable, nuclear C*-algebra is $KK^{\mathbb {T}}$-equivalent to a Rokhlin action on a Kirchberg algebra; and two circle actions with the Rokhlin property on a Kirchberg algebra are conjugate if and only if they are $KK^{\mathbb {T}}$-equivalent.

In the presence of the Universal Coefficient Theorem (UCT), $KK^{\mathbb {T}}$-equivalence for Rokhlin actions reduces to isomorphism of a K-theoretical invariant, namely of a canonical pure extension naturally associated with any Rokhlin action, and we provide a complete description of the extensions that arise from actions on nuclear $C^*$-algebras. In contrast with the non-equivariant setting, we exhibit an example showing that an isomorphism between the $K^{\mathbb {T}}$-theories of Rokhlin actions on Kirchberg algebras does not necessarily lift to a $KK^{\mathbb {T}}$-equivalence; this is the first example of its kind, even in the absence of the Rokhlin property.

We investigate the notion of relatively amenable topological action and show that the action of Thompson’s group T on $S^1$ is relatively amenable with respect to Thompson’s group F. We use this to conclude that F is exact if and only if T is exact. Moreover, we prove that the groupoid of germs of the action of T on $S^1$ is Borel amenable.

We prove that a separable, nuclear, purely infinite, simple ${{C}^{*}}$-algebra satisfying the universal coefficient theorem is weakly semiprojective if and only if its $K$-groups are direct sums of cyclic groups.