category sections

<?php  $cats = array('News Updates', 'Latest Updated Products'); //an array with the category names

foreach ($cats as $cat) :

$cat_id = get_cat_ID( $cat ); // http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/get_cat_ID

if( $cat_id ) : //only do the next if a the category name reuslted in a cat_id

echo '<div class="cat-section">';

$args = array(
'posts_per_page' => 3, // max number of post per category
'category__in' => array($cat_id) //only posts with directly this cat_id
);
$query = new WP_Query($args);

     if ($query->have_posts()) :

     echo '<h2 class="cat-title">' . $cat . '</h2>';

     while ($query->have_posts()) : $query->the_post(); ?>

            <div <?php post_class() ?>>
                <h2><a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to <?php the_title_attribute(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>

                <div class="entry">
                <?php the_excerpt(); ?>
                </div>
            </div>

        <?php endwhile; ?>

    <?php else :
        echo '<h2>No Posts for '.$cat.'</h2>';
     endif;

     wp_reset_postdata(); ?>

<?php
echo '</div> <!--end of .cat-section-->';

endif; // ENDS if( $cat_id ) :

endforeach; ?>